[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by lurker

Polo of that particular year with great difficulty got a 3 star, later on we do not know if their manufacturing omitted those safety features again, due to reasons of profit. yes, they still have 2 airbags even on base model but we do not know what is happening under the skin.

There's healthy cynicism, and there's outright conspiracy theories. This is the latter.

Both the Polo and the Toyota Liva have scored four stars out of five for adult protection in GNCAP. There's absolutely no excuse to not build safe cars on grounds of cost when rival manufacturers are able to do so and sell them in the same market.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by lurker

saving grace here for Goenka is that so far no Indian car 'global NCAP' has tested in India so far has got any stars. All are in same boat only.

correct me if I am wrong !

It does not take a genius to look at the images and understand that the passenger cage of the Figo and Polo are MUCH better.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by lurker

Polo of that particular year with great difficulty got a 3 star, later on we do not know if their manufacturing omitted those safety features again, due to reasons of profit. yes, they still have 2 airbags even on base model but we do not know what is happening under the skin.

There is no level of ease or difficulty in getting stars. I mean its not that one car scores these stars with ease and other scores the same number of stars with difficulty.

The Polos were not cherry picked for testing. They were taken from the market in exact same manner that other cars were. Non airbag version scored zero stars but it was noted that the integrity of body shell was pretty good in the polo. When VW decided to make airbags standard, an airbag equipped model was picked for test and if I am not wrong, it scored 4 stars.


If the profit reasons did not make Volkswagen compromise on the structural integrity for so many years, what makes you think that after the testing suddenly they will decide to cut corners in it?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by vibbs

... ... ... If the profit reasons did not make Volkswagen compromise on the structural integrity for so many years, what makes you think that after the testing suddenly they will decide to cut corners in it?

Well, internationally, they haven't turned out to be quite the goodies that they portrayed themselves as for decades. But, whatever my Polo diesel engine may be doing to the atmosphere, I do not suspect that its level of safety is any less than previously tested models.

So, bearing in mind that I consider it dangerous to feel too safe in any car, I'll keep the smug smile until further notice. Just. Is my Polo as well equipped for safety as it's European cousins? Highly unlikely.

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Well, internationally, they haven't turned out to be quite the goodies that they portrayed themselves as for decades. But, whatever my Polo diesel engine may be doing to the atmosphere, I do not suspect that its level of safety is any less than previously tested models.

So, bearing in mind that I consider it dangerous to feel too safe in any car, I'll keep the smug smile until further notice. Just. Is my Polo as well equipped for safety as it's European cousins? Highly unlikely.

No they are no goodies. Infact I believe it is quite Naive to expect corporates to think too much of social welfare and ethics specially in a topic where there can be no end. What matters to me as a customer is what I get. What matters to the company is the profit they make. That's their primary focus.

It might quiet be the case that as a policy VAG doesn't skimp on basic structural integrity or the simple fact that it did not make economic sense to redisign the vehicle structure just for one market. Whatever be the case as a customer I guess you do get one of the safest hatchbacks around. And since the cars being tested were lifted off the market just as any other customer would buy it, there are I think no grounds to believe that the tested cars were tampered to pass the test.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Well, I was smugly thinking that my Polo got three stars. Hope I'm not wrong!

Oh, wait... zero passes for all cars in this round of tests. So, in the context of this thread I am wrong. Sorry for the confusion.

[RavenAvi]

After Mahindra, another car manufacturer is set to offer a more safer alternative of it's zero-stars Indian model in Europe in the near future.

The "Dacia" Kwid is said to be equipped with standard airbags, ABS, Electronic Stability Program and (possibly) a reinforced body shell for better crash performance, when it launches over there by 2018. (link)

(Translated):

The Kwid should also be produced in Iran, then arrive in Europe under the Dacia label, according to our information.
But not until 2018, a priori.
A necessarily a higher price, because the car will be equipped with airbags, antilock brakes, stability control, while meeting the emissions standards of the Old Continent, necessarily more stringent than Brazil, let alone India.
Industrialization is envisaged on the Mediterranean.
The giant plant and underemployed Tangier (Morocco) holds the rope. Production in Russia is also under consideration.

In short, MUCH safer than the Indian model.

Will we see the same reinforced model replace the current-gen Kwid in our market as well? Only time will tell.

via Rush Lane

[sachinayak]

As per a report I came across on Google News, the Suzuki Baleno hasn't fared very well in the latest Euro NCAP tests

source: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/...uro-ncap-tests

source: http://www.euroncap.com/en/ratings-r...eTechnologies=

[Latheesh]

I am interested in Indian Baleno crash test result. Is there a chance in the near future?

[Lalvaz]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

I am interested in Indian Baleno crash test result. Is there a chance in the near future?

No chance at all. I've been following up repeatedly with MSIL for crash test reports of the S cross and Ciaz. No luck. But don't let that deter you from asking your Maruti dealer. Keeping the pressure on them is the only way they will eventually relent.

[RavenAvi]

The Brazil-spec Renault Kwid will be 20% heavier than the Indian-spec Kwid, according to Brazilian auto site, CarPlace.

Translated:

Among other changes to the project (still embargoed for publication), we hear that the most important will be precisely in the car structure.

To get an idea, the Brazilian model will increase around 20% in total weight compared to the Indian (will rise from about 650 kg to just under 800 kg) - mainly for backup account in monoblock and use of steel higher strength.

According to Renault, the car here is so strong that only the driver's seat weighs 9 kg more than India.

Another novelty is that side airbags are standard features in all versions of national kwid even in entry (beyond the mandatory front airbags and ABS brakes).

The goal of the brand is doing well in the Latin NCAP impact tests with a view that the Indian model had weak performance of Global NCAP - zero star.

CarPlace

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by blackasta

It's the law that every two wheeler must be used while wearing a helmet.

So mandatorily, every two wheeler sold (for first time buyers at least) results (or should result) in the sale of 2 helmets - just from a different vendor.

So if the motor vehicle acts can mandate helmets for 2 wheeler users, it can very well mandate in the future compulsory airbags+ABS for 4 wheeler users - just that the airbags are integrated in the car and must be brought from the same vendor as the car.

Update - in WB the Chief Minister herself has taken the initiative to increase road safety, starting with motorcycles.
Already the no petrol without helmet initiative has been rolled out, and mandatory helmet purchase with a new bike is on the cards.

[RavenAvi]

The Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI) has started a workshop in Mumbai to demand for safer cars for consumers. It is a part of a global campaign by Consumer International, which will educate consumers and make them demand for safer cars, which in turn will push for better safety regulations and standards in India, bringing it at par with global safety standards.

Honorary Secretary of Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI), Dr M S Kamath:

"No less than 2.03 million passenger cars were sold in India as per data that came in last year. Yet most of them lack basic safety features like airbags, antilock braking systems (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC). The absence of strict safety regulations and testing procedures allows car manufacturers to design their cars in India without essential safety features. This they do in the name of cost cutting. Recently some popular cars were tested on NCAP standards and four out of five failed badly.

India has been witnessing a very high rate of road accidents resulting in the largest number of road deaths and injuries in the world. Approximately 1,374 crashes and 400 deaths take place every day on Indian roads. One of the major reason behind high casualties is the lack of safety features in Indian cars which have been criticised as being insufficient and ineffective compared to developed countries. This workshop will educate consumers and make them more cautious."

ET

[dsr_rpm]

Some progress by for testing facility in India

Quoted from a news daily

"The Cabinet also approved to raise foreign shareholding limit from 5 percent to 15 percent in Indian Stock Exchanges and approved the revised cost estimate to over 3727 crore rupees for the National Automotive Testing and research and development Infrastructure Project (NATRIP).
This approval ensures completion of the NATRIP projects for the establishment of the global test centers in India.
The initiative will address the research and development requirements of the automotive industry, full-fledged testing and homologation centers.
The NATRIP project is required to adopt global best practices to ensure road safety and environmental protection."

This should help in improving the awareness on crash test in India and ultimately manufactures scaling to meet the basic safety requirement.

[amalji]

Originally Posted by sachinayak

As per a report I came across on Google News, the Suzuki Baleno hasn't fared very well in the latest Euro NCAP tests

source: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/...uro-ncap-tests

source: http://www.euroncap.com/en/ratings-r...eTechnologies=

Attachment 1520667

For Euro NCAP, that rating is actually good!

Quoting from the relevant article -

Yet even with the optional safety pack the Suzuki Baleno only achieved four stars, as the Safety Assist category score is raised to 43%. It’s not all bad news, though – Euro NCAP commented that the passenger compartment remained stable, and adult and child protection were both good in all tests.

If the Indian Baleno gets the same score, it's actually a good rating for a car of that price.