[free.spiryt]

Media outlets are picking up the news, and asking the manufacturers for answers.

http://www.livemint.com/Industry/tjB...rash-test.html

Maruti's response;
A Maruti spokesperson said the firm is committed towards safety of customers and for the public at large and it has set up a state-of-the-art crash testing facility and proving ground at its research and development (R&D) facility in Rohtak to ensure timely development and that it meets such future regulations.

Datsun's response;
Automotive regulation standards in fast-growing countries are constantly evolving and as a global manufacturer, we are willing to adopt as well as help evolve standards in vehicular safety standards

The manufacturers are waiting for a nudge in terms of regulations to introduce the safety features.

And the Govt. has obliged by outlining a plan, Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Programme (BNVSAP), but the timeline for implementation is 3 to 5 years.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/45029942.cms

Till then we can only hope for the good graces of the manufacturers.

[carwatcher]

Its high time every car should come with a safety rating sticker like they have for energy ratings for appliances. But wait isnt already Hyundai already doing it with i20 already LoL

[raju2512]

Many of the posts here blame the customers for choosing the lower end models, thus compromising their own safety for saving few thousand rupees. I beg to differ. The average car buyer is not as informed as you assume him to be. He believes what his peer group and other decision influencers say. I have seen quite a few conversations in show rooms which go this way

Buyer: What is the difference between VX & Zx ( just quoting maruti models for the sake of quoting a variant)

SA: Nothing much sir. It has air bags/ABS

Buyer: What is it?

SA: Airbags help in high speed crashes, but you can't drive at those speeds in India sir.
ABS is useful when you drive in snow or slippery roads. You don't need them in our cities

Buyer is now confused

SA: Instead of spending 50,000 more, you can go for some good accessories which you can enjoy.

Buyer: OK let me go for VX

One may argue that someone spending Rs.7 lacs should do a bit of research, but I have seen people spending 1 cr on a home without even knowing the diff between built-up, super built-up and plinth areas.

It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to give all the safety features in all models. If they try to get away quoting the rules of the land, the govt. should enforce strict laws. If we follow international requirements on emissions why not on safety also

[zenren]

Originally Posted by raju2512

Buyer: What is the difference between VX & Zx ( just quoting maruti models for the sake of quoting a variant)

SA: Nothing much sir. It has air bags/ABS

Buyer: What is it?

SA: Airbags help in high speed crashes, but you can't drive at those speeds in India sir.
ABS is useful when you drive in snow or slippery roads. You don't need them in our cities

Buyer is now confused

SA: Instead of spending 50,000 more, you can go for some good accessories which you can enjoy.

Buyer: OK let me go for VX

Spot on and well put!

Sales Advisors are the biggest culprits in buyers not choosing safety kit when provided as optional. They try to push their overpriced accessories onto the unsuspecting customers by ensuring the customers buy a variant that misses a lot of genuine accessories especially if they realize that the customer can pay an additional lakh for the top end. They cleverly take a good chunk of that money into their profits.

If a customer buys the ZXi, the dealer cannot push the overpriced stereo, central locking, alloys etc to that customer. When we got the Swift in 2008, I still remember the stereo available in MGA (that the SA tried to push) didn't have USB option and cost around 8-10k while the same model was available with bill and warranty on the outside for around 4-5k. Accessories is where their profits lie and hence the reason they discourage the top end variants.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by free.spiryt

Maruti's response;
A Maruti spokesperson said the firm is committed towards safety of customers and for the public at large and it has set up a state-of-the-art crash testing facility and proving ground at its research and development (R&D) facility in Rohtak to ensure timely development and that it meets such future regulations.

I think people at Maruti are crashing their cars against a haystack in their state of the art facility to come up with an abysmal crash test rating.

We can clearly see the roof folding in the Indian Swift, compared to this the Euro Swift's cabin it intact.

Needless to say i would not be buying a Maruti Suzuki car again.

Datsun's response;
Automotive regulation standards in fast-growing countries are constantly evolving and as a global manufacturer, we are willing to adopt as well as help evolve standards in vehicular safety standards

Datsun Go's state after the crash is the worst ever compared to all Indian cars thats been tested, even Alto fared better.

And the Govt. has obliged by outlining a plan, Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Programme (BNVSAP), but the timeline for implementation is 3 to 5 years.

Cool, i hope something solid comes out by then from all manufacturers, i would be looking for an upgrade in 5 years time (sorry no maruti for me again, you cheated us Indians by giving us a weaker cabin structure).

Dear NDTV, Please do the following cars also
Amaze, Mobilio, Ciaz, i20 Elite, Grand i10, Sunny, Micra, Duster, Ecosport

[civic-sense]

Originally Posted by Carophilic

The level of vitriol being spewed against MS across all topics related to them is unbelievable. I guess Global NCAP and the EU finally succeeded. Safety is one aspect where every customer / enthusiast and similar breeds become touchy. Its understandable. But the shameless way in which the fear and ignorance will be exploited is equally applaudable and repulsive.

That is incorrect. MS and the likes have been handled with kid gloves in this forum while discussing safety. To a large extend that was fine since there was not much data available to criticize the safety aspects of MS cars. Crash test results of the Swift changes that and we cannot give them the benefit of the doubt anymore. Maruti cars are unsafe, and no amount of word jugglary is going to change that.

[shortbread]

The Mango man is shocked to find that India's premier premium hatchback is a coffin on wheels. A car manufactured by the largest car maker in the country set up by tax payers money to make cars for....yes, the mango man.

This got me thinking what will happen next?!

The most likely answer is they will remain quiet for a few days, come next festivities the 'Diwali Dhamaka' offer comes up, free floor mats, aggarbati packs and a 10k dicount, Presto!! We are back to normal
At most Maruti might actually show some shame and fit airbags, which is actually pointless in any of their cars. Hey, but what does Mango Man know

Maruti Suzuki has NO EXCUSE. Its not a cheap car, it is not a struggling model. The average price of a swift going out of a showroom is close to 6 lacs all inclusive!!! The margins are big so are the volumes.

So why cant they sell India the same car as they do elsewhere? Even if the prices increase people swear by the swift. Rest assured if Maruti grew balls and decide to set the safety standards in the country the rest will automatically follow.

But no, for the Suzuki sans sitting in their headquarters in Hamamatsu Japan, they don't give two hoots, as long as their favourite cash-cow 'India' is raking in the money, they don't care if their cars are made of plywood

Its not just Maruti. Datsun must be the greatest scam Nissan has pulled of, make sub standard cars under a dead brand name and sell it to the Indians. VW, Hyundai, Ford all know very well to make good safe cars but are convinced Indians don't deserve them. Tata Vista came out with 3 stars in the ASEAN NCAP, but they are ok to fit airbags on all models when selling it to the Thai, Malaysians etc. But not the Mango man.

They all hide behind the appalling safety standards set by the India government. But that is no excuse as well, because these car makers have a responsibility towards their buyers. Its a question of ethics above government rules and regulations.

Silence is very effective in our country, politicians get away with it, so do criminals and now Indian Car makers join the league as well.

[supremeBaleno]

If the same manufacturers are selling 'safer' models elsewhere, but not in India, obviously lack of legislation in India forcing them to do so, would be the main reason. Nothing wrong in expecting them to be ethical and providing safety features on all cars, but as a business what is their motivation when the laws themselves don't give a damn about safety for the citizens. Am sure the route would have been the same in other countries too - initially safety being optional, then governments insisting on it being mandatory resulting in all manufacturers conforming to the law.

One way out is consumer awareness, but that will take a long time and countless lives will be lost in the meantime before everyone is aware that they need to opt for the safety features instead of the music-system or spoiler. Instead, we need laws to be passed to make safety features mandatory on all cars sold here.

[sudev]

Easy to rant but when it comes to buying and parting with your money decision most (almost all) mango men would rather not pay. Safety consciousness is last thing in our priority.

While I am all for the highest degree of safety affordable it has to keep pace with what the customers willingness to pay. Manufacturers would be held guilty if they did not offer safety features at all. Clearly they do but customers - not all - do not buy them.

We can rant only because the crash test failures but look at this perspective. I'd rather a family in such a car than riding a quadruple on a motorcycle with one baby on tank and the other in the arms of mother riding pillion!! On expressway noless

[giri1.8]

Well I have a good answers for why our cars are not safe

• People don't care about safety
• People opt for cheaper, efficient unsafe cars rather than safe ones
• Car makers make what people want, hence they make cheap efficient unsafe cars
• People who care about safety have no kind of access to data about the safety of cars on sale, hence they get whichever they feel as safe enough

[bhaskaracs]

Shortbread+

Cannot agree more. Then again, a single car OEM cannot independently decide to manufacture a safer car and run the risk of pricing themselves out in a certain segment. Can a Suzuki or Tata sell their cars on the premise of being the safest cars to drive, and then you know I am also 10% expensive than my peers? Would an average Indian (85% of those) buy into this safety net? Car manufacturers, fleet operators and and private buyers are equally responsible for this mess.

Now, can the government do something about this? Simply suggesting, can highway patrol teams disallow all vehicles from manufacturers whose safety ratings are poor from plying on highways (you dont need an airbag on Mumbai roads, do you)? Can they target different OEMs on different days/weeks and just dont let them pass. Or collect exorbitant toll rates as a penalty for not caring enough for your life and those around you.

[TheLizardKing]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

obviously lack of legislation in India forcing them to do so, would be the main reason.

Forcing? Do you mean to say that the government of India has forced MS not to offer airbags and ABS as an option on the L and V variants? This is totally breaking news. It changes everything! MS is absolved of all blame!

I guess Toyota and VW, two of the world's largest car manufacturers, need to learn a lesson from MS, India's largest car manufacturer: Safety just doesn't make business sense in India.

Mods: Excuse the heavy sarcasm. I couldn't help it.

[CoolFire]

Whatever be the reason, the answer is only one - stricter laws, making safety ratings applicable and ensuring at least a mandatory minimum rating for all vehicles sold.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by sudev

We can rant only because the crash test failures but look at this perspective. I'd rather a family in such a car than riding a quadruple on a motorcycle with one baby on tank and the other in the arms of mother riding pillion!! On expressway noless

Good point sir. This is what I have been saying too. Lack of rules and the resultant lack of quality in the cars being sold is all true. But there is this big other parameter that everyone seems to be ignoring. That is that we don't give a rat's tail about our safety. Simply put, value of human life is non existent in our country and people don't even follow basic principles of "self preservation".
The examples can be numerous starting from the one you have mentioned above.

But as a society we love to blame others and at most times the "others" refers to the government as it is the easiest target. First ridicule them for not bringing in laws to force car makers to make safer cars. Then ridicule them for not making laws to make the user wear helmets, seat belts, drive responsibly etc etc. It is always there fault.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by TheLizardKing

Forcing? Do you mean to say that the government of India has forced MS not to offer airbags and ABS as an option on the L and V variants? This is totally breaking news. It changes everything! MS is absolved of all blame! Mods: Excuse the heavy sarcasm. I couldn't help it.

I think you need to "read" before venting sarcasm. 'Forcing' meaning having legislation that makes safety features mandatory, like it is in other countries.
And no "option" business should be allowed - we need legislation that makes safety a mandatory feature.