[Jerryaj]

Originally Posted by JBIBS

NO. Since you won't pay that much for a Maruti

Originally Posted by vishnurp99

Scross has a 5 star safety rating but the sales were nothing great for a Maruti. Any car which has an average life time monthly sales of less than 5k is a flop for Maruti.
So Maruti is just offering what the market wants or at least a majority of the market.

Was wondering the same stuff! Why in the heavens would MD of automotive firm link safety with cost? Why is he bothered if they build better cars (in terms of safety) which is going to cost similar to the competition? Does they think (read believe) people will not buy cars from Maruti stable which cost similar to the competition?

Oh boy yes they won't (at least as much), classic example S-cross vs Creta (979 vs 6713, Dec 2019) both belonging to same class and similarly priced. S-cross being one of the better built car from Maruti and coming with other bells and whistles of a typical Maruti, should be selling more. Maruti has trapped itself in their own box of making cheaper car (read cost and maintenance) from which they don't want to come outside. And why would they, the box takes up 50% on the table.

please don't start Creta vs S-cross debate, I've taken similarly priced vehicle in same class as an example. Both the vehicles have their positive and negatives and both are loved by respective owners.

Also, does S-cross have 5 star rating for safety? if yes isn't it India's first 5 star rated car ahead of Nexon? please enlighten me on this.

[Guite]

On Team Bhp digest the question posed was: can Maruti bulid 5 star cars? They can, but they wouldn't.
1. Public demand is "kitne deti hai?"
2. Maruti motto is to milk that sentiment to the fullest.
3. There is no government mandate for safer cars.

[zhopudey]

https://www.rushlane.com/maruti-will...-12353531.html

We don't care for ncap! We will continue to buy tin cans in the millions!

[manjunathkl]

Here is the response from Maruti Suzuki which sells ~1 lakh+ cars per month:

Maruti Suzuki will not send its cars for Global NCAP crash tests.

I admire Tata and Mahindra for caring for the safety of their owners. And setting a trend that Maruti cannot follow.

The statement clearly implies - Maruti is forced to comply with India's safety regulations, i.e. Driver Airbag, ABS, EBD, reverse parking sensors, Speed limit warnings, front seat belt reminders.

In other words, they wouldn't have provided even these if govt had not mandated.

However, when BNVSAP (Indianized NCAP like crash test facility) comes to force (God knows when), they have agreed to comply. So generous I must say.

This is the amount of care Maruti has about its customers' safety. So fitting to be an industry leader by a large margin.

[Keeleri_Achu]

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

Maruti Suzuki will not send its cars for Global NCAP crash tests.

The veracity of the article is debated. For the same reason the discussion on the same topic was re-titled as a rumour.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...ml#post4750910 (Rumour: Maruti won't send cars to Global NCAP for crash tests)

I admire Tata and Mahindra for caring for the safety of their owners. And setting a trend that Maruti cannot follow.

The statement clearly implies - Maruti is forced to comply with India's safety regulations, i.e. Driver Airbag, ABS, EBD, reverse parking sensors, Speed limit warnings, front seat belt reminders.

In other words, they wouldn't have provided even these if govt had not mandated.

Tata and Mahindra are clearly putting emphasis on improving safety in their vehicles. There is no doubt on that. But I don't agree with your second statement. AFAIK Maruti made dual airbags and ABS as an option on every trim level well before Tata did. All the Nexa products came with the same as standard since their launch. Tiago/Tigor offered the same only on the top end up until late 2018 or early-mid 2019. I don't know about situation in KUV. So can't comment on the same. So clearly, Maruti deserves due credit here. Now I'm not saying everything is perfect with Maruti. They clearly have a lot of room for improvement.

Talking about sending cars to GNCAP, you've to realize that GNCAP can always purchase a car and test it out. Maruti cannot prevent GNCAP from testing their cars. Although it is certainly commendable if they did voluntarily send it. And if Tata/Mahindra are so much into GNCAP results, how come their flagship products remain as unrated? Namely Hexa, Harrier and XUV500. Are they not confident that they'll get 4/5 stars? I refrained from commenting when this topic popped up in the Harrier/Gravitas thread as I was expecting Tata to announce the ratings when they launched Harrier Auto, just like they did with Altroz and Tiago facelift. But that time came and went. Honestly, I'm still hopeful that they will announce it when they launch Gravitas and am willing to give them the benefit of doubt, just because of their record so far.

So while GNCAP urging other OEMs to follow the example of Tata/Mahindra have to be seen in a good light, I believe the said manufacturers themselves have a bit more to do when it comes to leading by example.

[manjunathkl]

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

AFAIK Maruti made dual airbags and ABS as an option on every trim level well before Tata did. All the Nexa products came with the same as standard since their launch. Tiago/Tigor offered the same only on the top end up until late 2018 or early-mid 2019.

Then how come India spec Baleno and Swift couldn't score more than 3 stars in their latest edition of NCAP tests, while Tiago/Tigor 2019 tests scored 4 stars?

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

So clearly, Maruti deserves due credit here. Now I'm not saying everything is perfect with Maruti. They clearly have a lot of room for improvement.

Credit for what, being a market leader with 50%+ market share and still not building a single 5 star car while Indian laggards and some foreigns brands offer 5 star rated cars already?

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

Talking about sending cars to GNCAP, you've to realize that GNCAP can always purchase a car and test it out. Maruti cannot prevent GNCAP from testing their cars.

Absolutely true, the first few tests on Maruti, Renault, Tata and Mahindra cars were tested on purchased cars and results were: "Structurally weak - not suitable for testing. No use adding airbags" report.

Once they got this shameful report, Mahindra developed XUV300, Tata built Nexon and Altroz and achieved highest score and a 5 star rating (XUV300 even scored better than Nexon). Kia's first launch was a 5 star car. What did Maruti do?

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

And if Tata/Mahindra are so much into GNCAP results, how come their flagship products remain as unrated? Namely Hexa, Harrier and XUV500. Are they not confident that they'll get 4/5 stars?

Every car must be 5 star rated IMO, but brands that have shown concrete steps towards that direction are being questioned here and credit is being given to a manufacturer who hasn't delivered a single 5-star car yet or shown any inclination to do so.

Going by the market share, which brand sells more than half of the cars sold in India? And if that brand has only one 4 star rated car and all others are either 3 star or 0 star or no star (not suitable for testing). What does it tell you about that OEM's concern on safety?

Who should be working more towards maximum safety - Maruti or all others who are fighting for the remaining 50% market share? In an ideal world, everyone must, but since all of that cannot happen at once, let us discuss the priority here.

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

So while GNCAP urging other OEMs to follow the example of Tata/Mahindra have to be seen in a good light, I believe the said manufacturers themselves have a bit more to do when it comes to leading by example.

As I said earlier, every OEM needs to constantly work towards maximum safety and even innovate further. No exceptions here. But when it comes to leading by example, if the largest brand by sales implements safety, it will reduce the deaths/injuries drastically. So that brand must lead by example.

[Keeleri_Achu]

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

Then how come India spec Baleno and Swift couldn't score more than 3 stars in their latest edition of NCAP tests, while Tiago/Tigor 2019 tests scored 4 stars?

India spec Baleno was never tested by NCAP. So cannot comment on that. Swift scored two stars. Clearly, that's not a good score. And I specifically said that there is room for improvement. Tiago offered standard airbags and ABS only after May of 2019. That would've meant a clear NCAP rating of ZERO before the said date. 4 stars is clearly better than 2. No doubt. At the very same time 2 is better than Zero. Whilst the second generation of Swift with standard airbags and ABS was never re tested by NCAP, Maruti did start offering the same since November 2015. The same for Wagon R from early 2016. Well before government mandated single airbag and ABS as standard. If Maruti was 'forced' to make that step, they definitely could've cut the cost by waiting until the 2018 deadline and offering just the bare minimum. Which they didn't.

Credit for what, being a market leader with 50%+ market share and still not building a single 5 star car while Indian laggards and some foreigns brands offer 5 star rated cars already?

It's fine to be obsessed with 5 star safety rating. Myself, just like you, and almost everyone else in this forum hope that every vehicle sold in the country be 5 star rated. But at the very same time it has only been a year and two months since we first saw a 5 star rated car on our roads. And the obsession really started after the same (Which is a very GOOD thing). I don't know a lot about building cars. What I do know is that no company would ever redesign their cars after a year or two from their launch to achieve something which is clearly not mandated by law. Tata had the option to introduce an all new platform. The latest platform from Maruti was developed at least 4-5 years ago. I'm an optimistic person. And I do believe that Maruti will bring a 5 star rated car soon to their portfolio.

Once they got this shameful report, Mahindra developed XUV300, Tata built Nexon and Altroz and achieved highest score and a 5 star rating (XUV300 even scored better than Nexon). Kia's first launch was a 5 star car. What did Maruti do?

XUV300 is just a re-badged Ssangyong with a chopped off boot. I don't think Mahindra really did a lot in it's development. But hey, it's the best rated car so far and Kudos to them for keeping it in their portfolio. India spec Kia Seltos have never been tested by GNCAP. And IIRC Seltos got a 4 star in Australian NCAP. But that model had six airbags as standard. I do applaud Tata for improving the safety in their cars. Period.

Every car must be 5 star rated IMO, but brands that have shown concrete steps towards that direction are being questioned here and credit is being given to a manufacturer who hasn't delivered a single 5-star car yet or shown any inclination to do so.

Going by the market share, which brand sells more than half of the cars sold in India? And if that brand has only one 4 star rated car and all others are either 3 star or 0 star or no star (not suitable for testing). What does it tell you about that OEM's concern on safety?

Even I believe that every car should be 5 star rated. And I do realize that Tata and Mahindra are making efforts in improving their safety standards. The only part where I disagreed is when you said Maruti didn't show any inclination towards safety. Whilst they do not have any 5 star cars, I don't believe they're selling cars that are death traps that would instantly kill you the moment you're involved in a crash. And they clearly have improved their standards, albeit not to the same level as other players. But who are we to say they are going to be stuck at this level for the foreseeable future? Neither you nor me have any clue about whats going on in their R&D except rumors. We can criticize a manufacturer based on what they have done. But we have no right to criticize them based on a rumor that they might/might not do something.

Who should be working more towards maximum safety - Maruti or all others who are fighting for the remaining 50% market share? In an ideal world, everyone must, but since all of that cannot happen at once, let us discuss the priority here.

Expecting a market leader to offer maximum of everything including safety is not a sound argument. Volvo has been considered as the epitome of safety for decades. Were they market leaders in any country, except for maybe Sweden, at any point? For an average customer, while safety is an important factor, unfortunately is not the only thing that matters during a purchase.

As I said earlier, every OEM needs to constantly work towards maximum safety and even innovate further. No exceptions here.

Agreed.

Sir, let me just sum up my points. Tata and Mahindra are clearly working on improving their safety. No question. But so is Maruti and every other manufacturer in the country. The cars that we have on our roads are definitely safer than the ones we had on our roads 5 or 10 years ago. Every single one of them. Whilst the number of 5 star rated cars would only go up in the future, it is unrealistic to expect that to happen in a span of few years. While I wouldn't say to cut the said manufacturers a slack, I would strongly refrain from attacking them based on rumors. I have no doubt that the government policy about a lot of things be it safety, emission or anything else, are only going to get stricter over time. And any player who wants a piece in this market, no matter how big or small, will have to play by those rules. While I could see certain comments comparing Maruti to Nokia and expecting them to go where the dinosaurs went, last I checked, Moore's law doesn't apply in automobile industry and the automobiles, last I checked, handily outlive any cell phone or gadget. And if the market share of Maruti starts to fall, which it will, I'm certain they'll charge at every other player with all they have got, exactly like their CEO said in a recent interview.

[manjunathkl]

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

Tiago offered standard airbags and ABS only after May of 2019. That would've meant a clear NCAP rating of ZERO before the said date.

Why are we trying to take bad examples and make it look acceptable?
India spec Baleno was never tested by NCAP. Swift with standard airbags and ABS was never re-tested by NCAP. And these 2 cars are the top-selling cars across all categories. Doesn't that bother you?

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

If Maruti was 'forced' to make that step, they definitely could've cut the cost by waiting until the 2018 deadline and offering just the bare minimum. Which they didn't.

If they are good at safety, why don't they voluntarily get all their cars tested? Doesn't it make a better business sense to give confidence to its prospective buyers? This whole discussion will be irrelevant if they had done that.

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

What I do know is that no company would ever redesign their cars after a year or two from their launch to achieve something which is clearly not mandated by law. Tata had the option to introduce an all new platform. The latest platform from Maruti was developed at least 4-5 years ago. I'm an optimistic person. And I do believe that Maruti will bring a 5 star rated car soon to their portfolio.

XUV300 is just a re-badged Ssangyong with a chopped off boot. I don't think Mahindra really did a lot in it's development.

Just like XUV300 was imported from Ssangyongg, why can't Maruti bring its global cars that are crash tested and certified with good stars in other countries?

And who is stopping Maruti from developing brand new cars/new platforms with top safety built into it from the day one?

I too share my optimism about Maruti launching safer cars in the future, but they will be the last one to do it. I'm saying it seeing the record of their past and their persistent reluctance to send their cars for the crash test.

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

I do applaud Tata for improving the safety in their cars. Period.

Even I believe that every car should be 5 star rated. And I do realize that Tata and Mahindra are making efforts in improving their safety standards.

It is not just applauding 1-2 cars which have set great examples, every customer must demand the best safety and not accept inferior cars giving excuses. It is my viewpoint. Thanks for sharing the same viewpoint.

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

The only part where I disagreed is when you said Maruti didn't show any inclination towards safety. Whilst they do not have any 5 star cars, I don't believe they're selling cars that are death traps that would instantly kill you the moment you're involved in a crash. And they clearly have improved their standards, albeit not to the same level as other players.

I think we have to emulate the best examples and not justify average efforts to improve slightly. While I don't care they are average about features, paint quality, seat upholstery, etc. But they cannot be average with it comes to safety. What really is the issue, they don't have technology or expertise or the capital to invest? Certainly not, then why should Indians travel in their relatively-unsafe cars?

And this goes not just to Maruti, it goes to every manufacturer of every car that is less than 5 stars rated or not tested/rated.

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

But who are we to say they are going to be stuck at this level for the foreseeable future? Neither you nor me have any clue about whats going on in their R&D except rumors. We can criticize a manufacturer based on what they have done. But we have no right to criticize them based on a rumor that they might/might not do something.

Who are we? We are the people who put our lives in their cars, thinking we will be safe. We have every right to question. About predicting future, the world over carmakers take pride in announcing their safety standards - that was not the case in India. Tata and Mahindra have changed that practice. Maruti's reluctance to even follow the same will surely be noticed. (even if it is a rumor, Maruti can clarify).

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

Expecting a market leader to offer maximum of everything including safety is not a sound argument. Volvo has been considered as the epitome of safety for decades. Were they market leaders in any country, except for maybe Sweden, at any point? For an average customer, while safety is an important factor, unfortunately is not the only thing that matters during a purchase.

While Volvo always sets the benchmark, it's competitors in Europe still offer 5 star cars across their portfolio since more than a decade. I don't think at this stage we can compare Indian market with developed markets.

The average customer believes safety must be inbuilt into any car. They cannot rationalize the fact that they have to pay extra to buy a safer car with the same features. So, safety must be in-built to the car as much as the engine and the chassis are in-built to the car.

Any average Joe who knows consumer psychology understands this, so carmakers also know it. It is just that it reduces their profit and no carmaker likes that.

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

The cars that we have on our roads are definitely safer than the ones we had on our roads 5 or 10 years ago. Every single one of them. Whilst the number of 5 star rated cars would only go up in the future, it is unrealistic to expect that to happen in a span of few years.

We have to raise our expectations sooner. Because, when a new standard is enforced today, the cars with older standards will still run on roads for a decade approx. To improve things at a fast pace is very necessary. I loved it when India skipped BS-5 and went straight to BS-6.

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

While I wouldn't say to cut the said manufacturers a slack, I would strongly refrain from attacking them based on rumors.

No one is attacking anyone, if the rumors are false, all it takes for Maruti is to clarify. No one must be discouraged from discussing.

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

While I could see certain comments comparing Maruti to Nokia and expecting them to go where the dinosaurs went, last I checked, Moore's law doesn't apply in automobile industry and the automobiles, last I checked, handily outlive any cell phone or gadget. And if the market share of Maruti starts to fall, which it will, I'm certain they'll charge at every other player with all they have got, exactly like their CEO said in a recent interview.

I don't wish any carmaker or business to shutdown. But If Maruti will buck-up only after it starts to affect their market-share, it only shows their lack of concern for anything other than their profits. Some people who have a keen eye on these things will surely point it out. (Like me)

[Keeleri_Achu]

Originally Posted by manjunathkl

And these 2 cars are the top-selling cars across all categories. Doesn't that bother you?

Do I wish they were safer? Absolutely yes. Does that bother me? No. I never for once believed that the best selling vehicle is the best vehicle. If I were to buy a car I would most certainly look at all the aspects and make an informed decision. If someone asks me any advice on a car purchase, I would list out all the pros and cons of all the cars they're considering, add some, if at all necessary to their list, and then ask them to make their decision. I would never ever recommend just one particular car. I have had friends in engineering who argued with me that Airbags are a waste as they are too expensive to replace once they get deployed. As if your face is cheaper to replace. I still find a hard time getting passengers in the rear to buckle up. And often get cursed a lot for the same. The list includes everyone from my parents to my doctor friends who spent a considerable time treating accident victims in casualities. I once made a huge scene in front my brother-in-law's family when I saw my elder sister keep my 3 year old nephew on her lap in the front seat. I've absolutely tried my level best trying to police the minimum safety that is already provided by the manufacturer and have received nothing but flak for it. And even if I'm successful, I can only ensure the safety of the people in my car. So I simply stopped bothering about decisions taken by others. I don't care if the car in the opposite lane is zero star rated or 5 star rated as it'll have no impact on the strength of my car. The current market provides car starting from one star to five stars across almost the segments. Everyone is free to make his/her own choice. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy a particular brand or product. Call me selfish, careless, pessimistic or whatever, in the present scenario, with the wide range of products available, I'm not going to be bothered by anything that directly doesn't affect me. I'll have the same feelings tomorrow even if I find out Altroz or I20 or even Jazz is the best seller in the premium hatchback segment.

If they are good at safety, why don't they voluntarily get all their cars tested? Doesn't it make a better business sense to give confidence to its prospective buyers? This whole discussion will be irrelevant if they had done that.

How many manufacturers have their entire portfolio tested by GNCAP? NONE
Doesn't that make all the manufacturers equally guilty?
Do I wish every single one of them were tested? Absolutely Yes.
Tata sells 5 products of which 3 have been tested by GNCAP. So far the best On sale/Tested ratio.
Mahindra currently sells 12 products (Combining TUV,TUV+, Verito,Vibe etc) in India, according to their website. Just two of them hold a valid GNCAP rating. XUV300 and Marazzo.
Maruti sells 9 Arena products, 4 of which holds a rating (Not counting the ones which were tested before the mandatory airbag/abs implementation). There are 5 Nexa produts of which only one have a rating at present. Not counting the XL6.
Hyundai have 10 cars on sale of which just 2 holds a rating.
I can go on about other manufacturers. But it is just going to be pointless. When it comes to voluntarily sending cars to GNCAP, no manufacturer can be considered to be perfect. The problem is that unlike other NCAPs which are mandated by respective countries, GNCAP is a charity organization whose validation doesn't make a difference ON PAPER. You can sell a vehicle in India with or without a GNCAP rating, unlike Euro NCAP or Australian NCAP. Until the very very late BNVSAP rating comes into force with relatively stringent standards, I don't think things will change. True, Tata is working closely with them off late. But they are also amongst the ones with the smallest number of products on sale which makes their job relatively easy.

Just like XUV300 was imported from Ssangyongg, why can't Maruti bring its global cars that are crash tested and certified with good stars in other countries?

I do wish they sell cars with six airbags and ESP as standard or at least offer them as an option.

And who is stopping Maruti from developing brand new cars/new platforms with top safety built into it from the day one?

Well, as I told earlier, the day one started a year and two months ago. When Nexon got the 5 star rating and started the well needed buzz on safety. And unlike products that can be redesigned in a year, the average product cycle of a car is 5-6 years. The current platform used by Maruti, Heartect, cannot be made 5 star rated without a significant redesign. No doubt that the sooner they change it, the better. But I don't expect it to happen in the next couple of years.

I too share my optimism about Maruti launching safer cars in the future, but they will be the last one to do it. I'm saying it seeing the record of their past and their persistent reluctance to send their cars for the crash test.

The same reluctance have been shown by all the other manufacturers as well. In my mind, every one of them is equally guilty.

Certainly not, then why should Indians travel in their relatively-unsafe cars?

Indians now have the option of buying 5 star rated cars priced south of 10 lakh. Let's see how the market respond to that.

Who are we? We are the people who put our lives in their cars, thinking we will be safe. We have every right to question.

Agreed. A prospective customer have every right to question a manufacturer on every aspect of the vehicle. They should utilize it to the maximum.

The average customer believes safety must be inbuilt into any car. They cannot rationalize the fact that they have to pay extra to buy a safer car with the same features. So, safety must be in-built to the car as much as the engine and the chassis are in-built to the car.

I agree. Safety should be standard. Manufacturers should also start displaying window stickers mentioning the safety rating just like in US, for better awareness.

We have to raise our expectations sooner. Because, when a new standard is enforced today, the cars with older standards will still run on roads for a decade approx. To improve things at a fast pace is very necessary.

Things should be done at a good pace. There is no doubt on that. But you've to realize that no manufacturer will be willing to redesign the basic shell of a vehicle which is probably mid way through it's life cycle. This clearly implies that it'll still take a good two to three years until we see a complete shift towards 4 and 5 star rated cars.

No one must be discouraged from discussing.

I agree. Healthy discussion and debate is quintessential for progress. And this is one of the very few platforms where people can have the same.

But If Maruti will buck-up only after it starts to affect their market-share, it only shows their lack of concern for anything other than their profits. Some people who have a keen eye on these things will surely point it out. (Like me)

I'm of the opinion that the market share of Maruti will fall regardless of it's stand on safety. Even if they switch their entire portfolio to 5 star cars in a couple of years, their piece of pie will get smaller. There are just too many players and trends in the market that it is going to be impossible to hold on to those figures.

[akshye]

I know most will be angry at my statement, but, it is true that what we get is basically what we deserve. I know that many BHPians consider safety among most important factors when considering/speaking about car. But there is mass market out there that thinks differently.

What I always say when it comes to safety in Indian cars is, we Indians move from 2-wheeler to 4-wheeler; and hence most would think, "Now I have got walls around me. How much more safer can it get?"

Even my current car is from Maruti, with 0 air-bags! I have come from Yamaha FZ-16 to Maruti Wagon-R. How much more safe could it have gotten for me?

[manjunathkl]

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

How many manufacturers have their entire portfolio tested by GNCAP?

I think this is a very good value-add if we have this published in TBHP. The ultimate safety spec sheet. Which is constantly updated and anyone can refer. I love the idea and I'm going to take the first step.

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

Doesn't that make all the manufacturers equally guilty?

All manufacturers producing un-safe cars are guilty, but not equally - the largest sellers are more guilty. Maruti and Hyundai. Simply by the number of un-safe cars they sell, we can know how many consumers are putting their lives at risk. Sorry to say it crudely: More people are hurt/killed in a Maruti than others. The second is Hyundai. Similarly, all other manufacturers are as guilty in the order of their market share.

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

The current platform used by Maruti, Heartect, cannot be made 5 star rated without a significant redesign. But I don't expect it to happen in the next couple of years.

There you go, Maruti's latest platform was not built for 5 star safety in mind. This is the root cause of the issue. They either have to majorly modify it or build a new platform. Till such time, people tie a mirchi and lemon to your cars.

Originally Posted by Keeleri_Achu

The same reluctance have been shown by all the other manufacturers as well. In my mind, every one of them is equally guilty.

I differ on the proportion, the manufacturer selling more cars in this market is more guilty.

[manjunathkl]

Originally Posted by akshye

What I always say when it comes to safety in Indian cars is, we Indians move from 2-wheeler to 4-wheeler; and hence most would think, "Now I have got walls around me. How much more safer can it get?"

Even my current car is from Maruti, with 0 air-bags! I have come from Yamaha FZ-16 to Maruti Wagon-R. How much more safe could it have gotten for me?

The context here is Safety among cars - not between 2-wheelers and cars. When you were looking for buying Wagon-R, you would've compared Wagon-R with Santro, Celerio or some other alternatives. It is to compare within the same category and same segment of cars.

[volkman10]

Global NCAP ratings of Cars in India, the story so far: