[RSR]

Same car, same test. First without side-curtain airbags, then with side-curtain airbags:

http://youtu.be/-GVkjDm23_c

Need I say more?

[shankar.balan]

The A Star AT gives the consumer only one or perhaps 2 airbags and no ABS
There are several cars which offer only 1 airbag, for the driver.

I don't think that the cost is going to go up so very much by the addition of a few airbags in all variants of cars. God knows these manufacturers have enough profit margin and god knows the government takes enough through taxes.
All we want in return is "safety" features. Now this can't be so hard can it?

[wilful]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

If I were to take my example,two years back, my wife wanted to buy a hatchback and her budget was pretty tight. We were just not ready to stretch it beyond 5.5L, there was not a single car under this price which had airbags.

Finally, we had to bite the bullet and buy a car which has all the gizmos but no additional safety features. It was like: only people having more than 6 lakh rupees can drive safer cars, others who cannot afford, we give you a music system and electrical gizmos if that helps.

Its high time manufacturers make available at least one variant which has airbags and offers little to none of these additional electronic/ electric gizmos (which can be installed later if needed), so that 'paranoids' with tight budget can buy them !

I think currently Datsun Go is the only car under 6 lac OTR Pune which offers this - driver side only - probably because of the negative publicity it received.
Of course - it may not feature in everyone's list of desirables.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

All we want in return is "safety" features. Now this can't be so hard can it?

I get what you're saying but like most other things, it is a process that takes time. We look to the West today as the trendsetters in driver safety but till the late 80s there was no real interest shown by carmakers to install airbags in cars though the working technology on which the modern airbag is based has been around since 1967. In fact, Ford and GM actively lobbied *against* airbags in the '70s. It was as late as 1998 that federal legislation was passed making driver and passenger front airbags mandatory. It took another 20 years till side/curtain airbags became the norm.

The Indian auto industry had definitely lagged behind America and Europe in terms of cars and features on offer. It's only in the past 10 years or so that we're seeing the latest generation of global cars on offer here, for example.

I'm not defending the carmakers but it's good that the realization seems to be sinking in that there is a significant set of customers for whom safety features matter as much if not more than fancy gizmos. May their tribe increase!

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by noopster

I'm not defending the carmakers but it's good that the realization seems to be sinking in that there is a significant set of customers for whom safety features matter as much if not more than fancy gizmos. May their tribe increase!

Amen to that! May their tribe increase indeed!

Every vehicle across every variant deserves safety features. But then, it is equally important that the other vehicles like buses and trucks and tempos and small goods vehicles also, have some discipline in behaviour and some safety built in as well. Same goes for our roads and infrastructure and road users.

We require a holistic approach to solve things but lack of "will" ensures that we don't do that. The rot is only going deeper and deeper!

[blackwasp]

Guys. Sorry to go a bit OT. But I have been seeing many posts that say no alternative for budget cars. But I beg to differ here. If on a budget, buy a car without airbags but instead retrofit a racing harness (4/5 pt seat belt ). The cost IMO will definitely be lesser than an airbag equipped higher segment car. Getting in and out will take you 5 mins more per ride, but won't that be more safer than 3pt belt + airbags? Why I mention this is because most motorsports do not use airbags as they are properly belted in. I'm sure that many people could think of this as a viable alternative to expensive airbag equipped cars.

Ps- found a guide here to fit 4 pt harness. http://wescoperformance.stores.yahoo...seat-belt.html

[drsingh]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Guys. Sorry to go a bit OT. But I have been seeing many posts that say no alternative for budget cars. But I beg to differ here. If on a budget, buy a car without airbags but instead retrofit a racing harness (4/5 pt seat belt ). The cost IMO will definitely be lesser than an airbag equipped higher segment car. Getting in and out will take you 5 mins more per ride, but won't that be more safer than 3pt belt + airbags? Why I mention this is because most motorsports do not use airbags as they are properly belted in. I'm sure that many people could think of this as a viable alternative to expensive airbag equipped cars.

Now that's what I call OOB thinking. Great option for the paranoid. Small car driver..

If you know of any such workshops /fitters in India, kindly share links.

[hybridpetrol]

While staying on the topic I also want to bring up another important point - Indians consider mileage as most important aspect of their car purchase.
To get a decent mileage and also a reasonable power with less displacement, manufacturers resort to bringing down the weight of the car. It is not so clear how the light weight metal they use would result in a safe structure.
The only information we have is what these manufacturers advertise and put in their manuals. What we need is independent arms of government setting rigorous tests on each model and trim sold and disallow sales of all such failed cars. This should be applicable to all the cars already on sale not just new releases.
If the failed cars are allowed to be sold even wit with 0 ratings majority of the customers will give two hoots and buy them anyway.

[rajivrt]

I completely agree with you. Having driven substantially in UK, I can easily say that the quality of the cars dished out to Indian people is way below those at translated similar prices in the UK! So, a GBP 10k car will be much higher in specs, build quality, engine refinement, sturdier equipment and parts, etc. I have driven Suzuki Alto in the UK (Suzuki has been traditionally naming all their small cars 'Alto' in the UK- the 800, the Alto as we know it, the Zen, and the Wagon R- I have seen them all christened 'Alto' in different years).

So in the absence of sturdier quality, is everything not a marketing gimmick? do these airbags really work the way they should do?

It is sad to see us Indians being taken for a ride with impunity.

[The Observer]

Was considering the Ecosport and then my better half wanted to check out the Jazz, yes they are in 2 distinct segments, but the engine specs and the space is comparable ( Ecosport is at least 1.5 lakhs costlier at the top end to top end - ESR Bangalore though), anyways went ahead and took the TD of the Honda Jazz today, must say it felt quite solid than the general opinion that Honda is getting more "tinny" nowadays.

I loved the car except for the engine noise trickling into the cabin and overall the styling appealed to me and wife was bowled over.

Now coming to safety - this is one area where i kept asking myself why did Honda skimp on the side airbags??, if this was provided, in my opinion at least, this could have sealed the deal and i would have booked the car then and there.

Post this we visited Ford and took a look at the Aspire and Ecosport. No offense to Ford or its owners, i felt the Jazz looks and feels slightly better. now "top safety" marks is with the Aspire / Ecosport because of the 6 airbags, had the Jazz also offered this feature i would have been easily swayed towards the Jazz.

Browsed through the web for Honda Jazz side impact rating, found this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CwdkqqKqx4

Watching this i imagined how it is for the passengers in the event of a side impact without the side airbags, now i am convinced the Ecosport or the Aspire is a safer option ( not that i wasn't earlier, but wife was totally in love with the Jazz, i don't fault her, but i am more focused on how safe our next car would or should be).

We should be making our decision soon.

[vinitbhavi]

It is indeed heartening to know many consumers of almost all car segments are getting more aware of safety aspects and are willing to even spend that extra for not only two but six airbags as well. Manufacturers should definitely take a note of this and make cars safer.

[Khushrav]

Thanks for this article. It once again reinforces our belif that Indian law makers and consumers do not care two hoots about things that are genuinely important. We have subsudies for sub 4 meter cars but charge a premium for hybrid tech.

I have an inkling that some of the big players have huge lobbies and will stand to lose pots of money if the safety norms were to be mandated. Think about Maruti and Hyundai and Mahindra and Tata.

[vijaydo]

Originally Posted by GTO

Great thread.

Just wanted to add a little different perspective since I'm from the 'pre-worshipped' school of thought.
==========Ask me, I'm already a happy owner of my 5th pre-worshipped ride .

Vehemently agree with this. I bought myself a pre-loved Passat for much less than the million-and-a-half. Been using it for about a year now. Insurance and maintenance have so far been shockingly affordable. Hope that streak holds, of course.
If the "new car" feeling is not that important to you, this is eminently the way to go. [3M can always help you with the new-car smell]

[RSR]

Originally Posted by A350XWB

The first manufacturer who dared to offer six airbags to people, below the 10L price bracket was Hyundai and not Ford! Ford took more than 5 years to provide what Hyundai offered with their i20. Going gaga over one manufacturer is OK, but credit should be given where it's due.

Relax, A350XWB!

Did I mention anywhere in my post that Ford are the first to offer 6 airbags in a car under 1 million rupees?!?

Certainly not!

This is what I mentioned:

The following happens to be a current list of...

Please note the highlighted words - a current list. The list as it stood when I typed that post. Neither a past list, nor a future one.

My respect for Ford has gone up tremendously because the Figo Aspire now becomes the least expensive car to get 6 airbags...

Again, do note the highlighted words - now becomes. Now, that is at present (when I typed that post). I never said it is the first one to do so. That honour would undoubtedly belong to the previous generation i20, something that it held as long as it was in production.

I thought the words were quite clear when I typed them, and never knew I would be misunderstood in this way.

I'm neither a rabid hater of Hyundai who wants to deny them credit, nor am I someone who wasn't aware of the previous generation i20's feature list.

I've given Hyundai due credit for being the first to provide 6 airbags in a mainstream hatchback, in a car less than 10 lac rupees, and given credit to the previous i20 for being the least affordable car that first provided 6 airbags on several occasions before.

Here are just two recent mentions of mine on different threads - the first was made on June 13, 2015 on the Elite i20 review thread, and the second on July 14, 2015 on the Figo Aspire thread itself! You may click on the little red arrow mark in the quoted portions to access those posts. These are only two recent mentions, and there are plenty of other places where I've given due credit to the previous generation i20 for being the first one to offer 6 airbags in the affordable range:

Originally Posted by RSR

In fact, the initial version of the previous generation i20 had so many features that were way ahead of their time in this segment - 6 airbags, rear disc brakes, sunroof, touchscreen AVN, seatbelt warning lamps for each passenger, seatbelt warning chime for both driver & front passenger, front passenger airbag cut-off switch etc.

Originally Posted by RSR

The previous generation Hyundai i20 did offer 6 airbags on the Asta(O), but sadly the new one doesn't get an Asta(O) variant equipped with 6 safety balloons. Now, the most we have on a hatchback (not including the 2 million rupee plus luxury hatchbacks) is 4 airbags on the Nissan Micra, and that too only on one variant (dCi's XV P). Every other hatchback gets a maximum of 2 only.

So it's not correct that I never gave credit to Hyundai for being the first to offer the most affordable car with 6 airbags. Neither did I mention anywhere in this entire forum (not only that post) that Ford were the first to offer 6 airbags in an affordable package.

If it seemed that I went gaga over Ford, that's only because this post was originally meant for the Figo Aspire thread, and the mods later moved it to a thread of its own. If I knew in advance that this post was going to start a new thread, I would have certainly toned down the clapping, cheering and going gaga part by a bit.

Cheers!

[A350XWB]

Originally Posted by RSR

Did I mention anywhere in my post that Ford are the first to offer 6 airbags in a car under 1 million rupees?!?

RSR, my reaction was to your first post and believe it or not, it sounded very pro-Ford (even though I own a Figo), especially with mentions like "Ford India have thankfully raised the bar for safety" and "My respect for Ford has gone up tremendously because the Figo Aspire". Apart from the list, there is no mention of Hyundai, who actually were the first to offer an affordable car with 6 airbags and in such a thread, I expected a mention of it
I totally agree with the relevance of the thread as I've always been a proponent of safety and safe driving and I did not compromise on safety while buying both my current cars. I think the mentality of people also have to change so that they demand safety and don't compromise. Even the dealerships scare potential owners by quoting the price of an airbag replacement rather than telling about the benefits of it.