India-made & Euro-spec Suzuki Baleno gets 3 - 4 Star NCAP rating

Kamal · 18th May 2016, 22:03

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/bus...s_6682381.html
Here's the link to an interview with Mr Bhargava after release of NCAP ratings wherein 2 of Maruti's hot sellers scored zero stars.
I'm highly disappointed by the defensive & argumentative attitude of Mr Bhargava in the crucial matter of safety of occupants.
He kept belabouring the point that The Indians standards of crash tests specified a speed of 56kmph & maintained that the vhicles in question met those standards.
I'm perplexed by this argument; If the crash test is done at 56kmph, then the vehicles pass, presumably with 4/5 star ratings. At just 8kmph more, they get a zero star rating?
Then he says that 56kmph is more than adequate for Indian conditions where the average driving speed is 40kmph.
Frankly, in Delhi I've seen cars being consistently driven far in excess of that speed, perhaps Mr Bhargava is not aware of the current driving habits?
Then he says that that the 56kmph of a crash test translates to a real world accident at a speed of 112kmph!
I've done a fair amount of search on the net & I couldn't come across any such equivalence; on the contrary, a thinking seems to be emerging that even 64kmph is not adequate.
Cars tested by Germany's ACAD at 80 kmph showed an astonishing failure of cars which had earned 5 stars at 64kmph, leading to the belief that manufacturers were engineering their vehicles only as much as to just about pass at 64kmph.
Frankly, I had expected a much more mature response from the head of India's leading car manufacturer.
I do hope car owners, Auto Magazines & portals like TeamBhp convey a strong message to Maruti & other car manufacturers of the country that Indians deserve more consideration for the safety of themselves & their families.

18th May 2016, 22:03	#61
Kamal BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: N.Delhi Posts: 127 Thanked: 108 Times	Re: India-made & Euro-spec Suzuki Baleno gets 3 - 4 Star NCAP rating http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/bus...s_6682381.html Here's the link to an interview with Mr Bhargava after release of NCAP ratings wherein 2 of Maruti's hot sellers scored zero stars. I'm highly disappointed by the defensive & argumentative attitude of Mr Bhargava in the crucial matter of safety of occupants. He kept belabouring the point that The Indians standards of crash tests specified a speed of 56kmph & maintained that the vhicles in question met those standards. I'm perplexed by this argument; If the crash test is done at 56kmph, then the vehicles pass, presumably with 4/5 star ratings. At just 8kmph more, they get a zero star rating? Then he says that 56kmph is more than adequate for Indian conditions where the average driving speed is 40kmph. Frankly, in Delhi I've seen cars being consistently driven far in excess of that speed, perhaps Mr Bhargava is not aware of the current driving habits? Then he says that that the 56kmph of a crash test translates to a real world accident at a speed of 112kmph! I've done a fair amount of search on the net & I couldn't come across any such equivalence; on the contrary, a thinking seems to be emerging that even 64kmph is not adequate. Cars tested by Germany's ACAD at 80 kmph showed an astonishing failure of cars which had earned 5 stars at 64kmph, leading to the belief that manufacturers were engineering their vehicles only as much as to just about pass at 64kmph. Frankly, I had expected a much more mature response from the head of India's leading car manufacturer. I do hope car owners, Auto Magazines & portals like TeamBhp convey a strong message to Maruti & other car manufacturers of the country that Indians deserve more consideration for the safety of themselves & their families. Last edited by Kamal : 18th May 2016 at 22:04. Reason: Forgot to add the link.
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