[Tushar]

Yet another international test that highlights the sorry state of car safety in India has come to light. The Hyundai Grand i10, one of the South Korean car maker's best sellers in India, has scored zero stars in the Latin NCAP crash tests. The variant tested was made in India and had no airbags, while the bodyshell integrity has been labelled "unstable".

The official statement on the test reads as follows: "The protection offered to the driver head and chest was poor and for this reason the star capping was applied. Passenger's chest protection was marginal. The passengers' knees could impact with dangerous structures in the dashboard like the Tran fascia tube. The bodyshell was rated as unstable. The bodyshell was not capable of withstanding further load." The car has been launched in markets like Argentina where it comes with more safety equipment, but the poor performing structure is still a matter of concern. In India, the Grand i10 comes with ABS and dual front airbags as optional extras, only on the top-end "Asta" variant.

As expected, the model sold in Europe gets a more durable structure, along with features like front and side airbags, electronic stability control, brake assist, and even ISOFIX child seat mounts, giving the car a 4-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Crash test results: http://www.latinncap.com/data/pdf/Hy...Airbags_en.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LS0efXG28g

[Parth46]

Not unexpected really.

Mango people like us pay through our nose for these products by taking huge loans, and in turn get a compromised body structure which is vastly inferior to models sold in Europe et al.

Unless and until there is a major hue and cry, nothing will change. And the chances of a hue and cry are low, as people are too busy getting inside their unsafe car by pressing a black key sensor and starting the engine of the same unsafe car by pressing another button.

And moving in style by flaunting those bright DRLs as well as turning on their headlamps automatically.



Not against these features at all. Heck, have many of these in my own Grand i10 but at what cost?

[mayankk]

All I'll say is, manufacturers sell what they're allowed to by law. Not just cars. Everything.
Expectations are from the wrong quarters in all such cases.

[sourav9385]

Just like the sun that never fails to rise in the east, any thing India-made will never fail to fail a crash test in the rest of the world.

It is absolutely not surprising. There are no laws governing safety of vehicles sold in the Indian sub-continent. Which means, no one can be penalized in India for selling a death trap loaded with all creature comforts. So, why would a manufacturer go through any standardized manufacturing process to give us even a modicum of safety? It's not that hard to understand. Each and every business across the world is driven by profits. So, if car manufacturers can get away by providing unsafe tin boxes, with compromised structural integrity, just because the average public is too dumb to look for safety and the government is too inept at implementing any type of law regarding safety, don't you think they would do the same?

Laws, laws & more laws. We need laws regarding vehicular safety & mandated crash tests to be designed and implemented, and fast! Unless these happen, there is no way an India-made anything will pass any standardized test in the rest of the world. We need people who understand the necessity of safety, and not a$$ hats who think people will drive fast because they have ABS & Airbags . 'Nuff said.

[bhp_maniac]

As long as proper laws are not in place or not properly enforced, we'll keep on getting substandard products at same or higher price tags than the standard ones. Really unfortunate, but that's how these businesses work. It's high time Govt. should do something about this kind of treatment to its fellow citizens.

[srishiva]

We thought only Maruti does this and Hyundai which exports vehicles abroad will be better :( Very disappointing results even with air bags etc to get such a low score.

We should have stricter controls and companies can compete towards lowering cost over and above those safety rules. There is not much of difficulty involved in this since they are innovating in making them unsafe for price.

[Lalvaz]

Amazing how all 3 posts here talk about "Expectations"

Originally Posted by Tushar

As expected, the model sold in Europe gets a more durable structure

Why should it be expected that the European model will have a more durable body structure? Are we saying that an Indian or latin american life is less valuable than an european life?

Originally Posted by Parth46

Not unexpected really.

Mango people like us pay thru our nose for these products by taking huge loans, and in turn get a compromised body structure which is vastly inferior to models sold in Europe et al.

Why is it "Not unexpected really"???
Is it wrong or unjustified to expect that a global car manufacturer will have the same safety standards globally?
Do we pay cheaper prices to those manufacturers as compared to European customers?

Originally Posted by mayankk

All I'll say is, manufacturers sell what they're allowed to by law. Not just cars. Everything.
Expectations are from the wrong quarters in all such cases.

So, as a customer, my expectations of a safe autombile is from "the wrong quarter"?

And why should the manufacturers hide behind our toothless laws all the time? I get it that SIAM with all its lobbying and with the connivance of ARAI is responsible for lax laws in automotive safety, but what about the manufacturer's ethical responsibility to ensure that they deliver a safe product to their consumer? Knowing that their cars are structurally unsafe and will not be able to protect the indian consumer, they still choose to sell those unsafe products in India. This is cold blooded murder!

Even if a consumer buys the top end variant with ABS and airbags, it will not help since the structure itself is inherently weak.

We need to boycott these manufacturers unless they voluntarily comply with the global safety standards for Indian consumers as well. From now onwards, I will not buy a car until I know definitely the safety rating of that vehicle.

[rajneeesh]

The two most successful car companies give us comprmised products and talk about having " a good understanding of what the market wants" . They totally ignore their responsibiity to provide safe products. The Airbags/ ABS are provided only in the top end models which cost a lot more than the base/ mid priced variants.

[romeomidhun]

All who are going ga-ga over Hyundai and other non-Indian makers for their "safety", "quality" and "build" - need to read this.

Remember Hyundai had to stop exporting the Elite i20 to Europe just because it was not meeting the European standards.

[vinit.merchant]

I did not kind of expect the Grande i10 to fare so poorly. My guess was at around 3 stars but this is miserable at 0 stars. Miserable because the Grande i10 is not exactly a cheap car and Hyundai sells it as a premium car.

Well, things are about to change with the crash test rules being implemented from 2017 & 2019. Lets see if the Auto lobby is able to corrupt the standards of the crash testing or will it survive to implement the same level of procedures and testing as the Euro/latin NCAP.

[Lalvaz]

Originally Posted by sourav9385

. So, if car manufacturers can get away by providing unsafe tin boxes, with compromised structural integrity, just because the average public is too dumb to look for safety and the government is too inept at implementing any type of law regarding safety, don't you think they would do the same?

Its easy to call the public "Dumb" and unconcerned about "safety", but in this case, its misplaced and uncalled for. The Indian consumer is unaware about what constitutes a safe vehicle, simply because he does not know the crash test rating for the vehicles he buys.

If the automobile market in India was truly transparent in its crash test results and in spite of people being aware that their cars were structurally unsafe, if they still chose to patronize those manufacturers, perhaps your statement would have some merit. However, in the present scenario, you simply do not know. Even if you bought the top end variant of a car with the bells and whistles of ABS, Airbags etc... you still did not know if the structure was unsafe. So, you were not a DUMB customer, You were simply being CHEATED, and cheated not only of your valuable money, but cheated of the right to a SAFE vehicle, which could cost the LIVES of you and your loved ones.

By calling the Indian consumer "Dumb", you are actually heaping insult on his injuries, and that is uncalled for.

[hybridpetrol]

Doesn't anyone propose to revise the crash test standards to be a little soft, and encouraging, in the wake of all cars sold here are failing the "strict" tests? Testing at 64kmph is like verifying the already known results! Isn't testing at 10kmph or 20kmph fast enough? At least by then we would see some positive results! This is the sorry state of our cars, whatever is our budget.
The price you pay for the top variant Asta trim (Petrol 6.5L OTR, Diesel 7.5L OTR) is not enough for your safety. If you care about your heads pay the optional 35K extra and go for Asta (O) to get ABS & airbags - is the message we should be getting from the crash test reports.
The message for manufacturers? Wait until 2019!

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

So, as a customer, my expectations of a safe autombile is from "the wrong quarter"?
From the manufacturer, yep. All your businesses will sell you stuff that meets the base requirements as per the law.
And why should the manufacturers hide behind our toothless laws all the time? I get it that SIAM with all its lobbying and with the connivance of ARAI is responsible for lax laws in automotive safety, but what about the manufacturer's ethical responsibility to ensure that they deliver a safe product to their consumer? Knowing that their cars are structurally unsafe and will not be able to protect the indian consumer, they still choose to sell those unsafe products in India. This is cold blooded murder!
This is for ROTFL, yeah? Ok, I will. Youre reading these reports, youre seeing that cars in europe clear their tests, but same one made in India fails it, still manufacturers claim 5 star Euro Ncap rating with a big sticker on the rear windshield out of the showroom, while the car sits miles behind in safety compared to the ones they sell elsewhere, and youre talking about "Ethics" with these manufacturers?

Even if a consumer buys the top end variant with ABS and airbags, it will not help since the structure itself is inherently weak.

We need to boycott these manufacturers unless they voluntarily comply with the global safety standards for Indian consumers as well. From now onwards, I will not buy a car until I know definitely the safety rating of that vehicle.

So, if the word "expectations" is what you wanted to pounce on after a "find in page", let me put it out clearly.
Expecting a manufacturer to give you 1.5, when the law says they have to give 1, is laughable.
Expectation is from the government to be stringent with new laws to ensure safety reaches the public. When one of their ministers crashed, they fidgeted for a second, and now are back to sleep.

Please do not expect "ethics" from a business that targets maximum unit sold.

PS:

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

If the automobile market in India was truly transparent in its crash test results and in spite of people being aware that their cars were structurally unsafe, if they still chose to patronize those manufacturers, perhaps your statement would have some merit. However, in the present scenario, you simply do not know. Even if you bought the top end variant of a car with the bells and whistles of ABS, Airbags etc... you still did not know if the structure was unsafe. So, you were not a DUMB customer, You were simply being CHEATED, and cheated not only of your valuable money, but cheated of the right to a SAFE vehicle, which could cost the LIVES of you and your loved ones.

What crash tests????

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

I did not kind of expect the Grande i10 to fare so poorly. My guess was at around 3 stars but this is miserable at 0 stars. Miserable because the Grande i10 is not exactly a cheap car and Hyundai sells it as a premium car.

The variant tested was without airbags. That's a default 0 rating.

I wonder why they even bother with further tests. Any car sold in the indian /international markets without dual airbags is at rating zero.

[Parth46]

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

Why is it "Not unexpected really"???
Is it wrong or unjustified to expect that a global car manufacturer will have the same safety standards globally?
Do we pay cheaper prices to those manufacturers as compared to European customers?

It's not unexpected because of the total absence of stringent laws on this topic. With safety way down in the priority list for everyone, do you really think companies will go out of the way to give you a safer product?

Why does the European i10 come with safety aides like ESC, Brake assist, ISOFIX seats and all? Because many of these are mandated by law and people there actually care about lives; crashes and accidents and subsequent lives lost are not just small stats, as they are here.

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

I did not kind of expect the Grande i10 to fare so poorly. My guess was at around 3 stars but this is miserable at 0 stars. Miserable because the Grande i10 is not exactly a cheap car and Hyundai sells it as a premium car.

The damn thing currently retails at 7.2 Lacs OTR in Bangalore for the top end Asta (O) variant which has ABS and airbags, and given how the structure is prone to total collapse as seen in the video, even 7 lacs is not enough it seems to get a safer shell.