[Bibendum90949]

Originally Posted by nagr22

Though Yaris is 5 star rated in ASEAN NCAP, it is still not tested by GNCAP and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be 5 star here as well.

Hello nag, I bought Seltos after seeing it scoring a 5 star in Australasian NCAP assuming and realistically hoping the Indian spec may score a comfortable 4 if not a 5 in GNCAP. Now we all know where it ended up- it missed a hapless 2 star by a whisker. I truly hope and wish Yaris comes out with flying colours in the crash test and your wish be fulfilled.

By the way, I chose 5 star in the poll, though I may only get to know the car's crash worthiness much later after buying it, just in the case of Seltos. It only helps if one gets to know it beforehand.

[Arjun Reddy]

Voted 5*s.

On our roads we are plain lucky if nothing happens, and when it does we need to be out alive. No cooled seats or fancy sound systems or those fantastic looking led lights are going to help.

Frankly I have started to trust the Tatas and Mahindras now on the safety front. If you see their launches over the last 3 years, all their GNCAP tested cars are now 4* and above. If they continue their quest for safe cars in India and are able to build a reputation on safety, probably we can blindly buy their cars going forward knowing they are safe. ( even before the crash tests are out).

Volvo comes to mind here as the best example of reputation for safety.

For me the Seltos fiasco is not about it getting rated 3* but it narrowly missing out on 2*. When safety gets to that range on a 20+ lakh car it just shows scant respect for safety.

I had Sonet on my mind for replacing one of my cars but now I will wait for Kia to react and make the required changes. If VW can for the Polo and Renault could for the Kwid, so can Kia.

On a budget the choice for us is always going to be between the devil or the deep sea, unless the government steps in with clear regulations on safety and have the Bharat NCAP implemented.

Even more shocking is Maruti's denial.

https://auto.hindustantimes.com/auto...101986863.html

Agree the crash test speeds are different between the Indian and GNCAP regulations, go on Maruti test your cars at 56 kmph and come out with the results.

Wonder why they were quite when the Beezza scored 4*s ?

[DCEite]

This poll brings to light my own dilemma.

I already have a compact sedan which suits most of my needs and is 4 star (Tigor AMT).

However now there is a need of second car in the family which must be a small car.

As I understand there is no small car rated 4 star and above except Tiago. But since I already have the Tigor I dont want to go for Tiago.

What is my next best bet ? IGNIS maybe ? I think it's 3 star but the fact is our daily running will be low on this car.

[anb]

Originally Posted by DCEite

What is my next best bet ? IGNIS maybe ? I think it's 3 star but the fact is our daily running will be low on this car.

Crash test was conducted on African Ignis, not on the one sold in India. Also now we have the face lifted version.

[MSC]

The minimum rating I would expect from my next car would be 4 and if possible, it should be 5.
The current car I drive is the Hyundai Venue SX-OPTIONAL 1.5L CRDi.
As is the norm, the other car I had looked upon was definitely Tata Nexon. But the awkward looks ( according to me, nothing personal to owners) of the pre-facelist version along with the lackluster support from local Tata dealer forced me to look elsewhere. At the same time, the other 5 star cSUV from Mahindra, the XUV-300 was unavailable in diesel version at the time I bought Venue.
One thing I will like to say, is that no car is hundred percent perfect. There is one or other aspect where compromise needs to be done. Faced with literally no other option, I went with the variant with highest equipment available including 6 airbags, Vehicle Stability Management, Hill assist, ABS with EBD, Electronic Stability Control among other tiny bits.
This time I had no other option but for next it's definitely going to be a minimum four star, and if possible most probably 5 star rated.

[CARDEEP]

I would prefer to have a 5-star rated car.
The most important safety aspect (s) of my next car IMO would be crash rated stable body structure & bit heavy built.
I feel a heavier car with similar safety ratings as a lighter car is better as vehicle's weight is an equal factor (alongwith the speed, in GNCAP it's 64 kmph) in tests.
If the weight distribution of a vehicle (well engineered) is good, the weight would also help in handling & ride quality.

[gururajrv]

In addition to my previous post - what I’d like to see is a tag attached to all new cars which shows the safety rating it offers - similar to that of the electrical appliances that displays a tag showing rating of power consumption more the stars, more efficient and power saver - similarly all cars should bear this tag which encourages manufacturers to build better cars!

[Ajay_Sensei]

Voted 5 because now options are available in almost every segment. Thanks to our Indian auto companies, Tata and Mahindra, there is no reason to compromise on safety when deciding on a car.

[harishpr]

Depends on the primary usage of the car.
I will go for 4 or 5 rated vehicle for my primary vehicle that carries my entire family during highway runs - No compromise here.
For second car that's for 100% city run (where average speeds are low), i won't mind buying the economical one (anything that has airbags, seatbelts & ABS) with 1 or 2 stars rating.
I just booked a spresso despite knowing it's safety rating as it's intended for driving within whitefield (Bangalore) for school pickup, drop, supermarket runs.

[Dr.Abhi]

Originally Posted by DCEite

This poll brings to light my own dilemma.

I already have a compact sedan which suits most of my needs and is 4 star (Tigor AMT).

However now there is a need of second car in the family which must be a small car.

As I understand there is no small car rated 4 star and above except Tiago. But since I already have the Tigor I dont want to go for Tiago.

What is my next best bet ? IGNIS maybe ? I think it's 3 star but the fact is our daily running will be low on this car.

You can think of honda amaze as it has got 4 star crash rating by GNCAP, though it was south african one.

[PYSO]

Looking at the poll results so far, it seems that at least 90% of bhpians desire to buy a car that is at least 4-star rated

This tells me that safety is one of the highest priorities for t-bhpians

My request to the mods would be to add NCAP rating results to the official car reviews of every car, as soon as they are available (ideally in the pros and cons section at the very beginning of the review)

Another request would be to have a complete sub-section in the offical review that focuses on the safety aspects of the car under review.

[Scorpio80]

Can't vote, but will be at least 4 and given choice in the segment, 5. I would go for a safer car with few less features and bling, as it would give peace of mind where it matters most (at least to me).

When I was considering Korean/Japanese cars a couple of years ago because of 6 airbags (over German brands with 2/4 airbags), I was told by one of my acquaintances (who works in car showroom) that a German car with 2 airbags will be safer because of stronger structure. I didn't give too much value at that time, but looking at the current safety results, I consider myself fortunate that I didn't buy car at that time.

[AutoConsultant]

Voted for both "4" and "Depends". With the current setup of BNVSAP and only a handful of cars being tested by Global NCAP, it would be too restrictive for a customer to base his/her decision on GNAP ratings. We would have to depend on the following factors :-

1. Euro/ASEAN NCAP ratings (if available)
2. Track record of the manufacturer (GNCAP ratings for its other products)
3. Safety kit available (no of airbags, ESC, EBD, Traction Control, TPMS, Hill Descent Control)
4. The good old Door/Bonnet thud and general feeling one gets based on a close inspetion

I know none of these factors certify the safety of a vehicle but this is all we have at the moment.

If you have to select between 2 shortlisted cars and one of them has a 4/5 rating then you can easily make that call. But there would be very few customers who would go out of their way and compromise on a lot of their requirements to purchase a GNCAP certified car.

[The Rationalist]

While bhpians would be a minority and don’t mirror the current state, it definitely points to the future. My home state of Kerala is ahead of many parameters when compared to India, it is harbinger of things that will sooner or latter spread to other places. Likewise in another decade I feel at least 25% of public will think about safety as a priority. You can’t stop an idea whose time has come. This poll kindles the hope I have for our country going ahead. I’m sure the youngsters lurking on the forum would be watching the news related to safety and will definitely think about it while planning to buy cars. Even a pessimist like me can see shoots of optimism!

[Carma2017]

Originally Posted by The Rationalist

While bhpians would be a minority and don’t mirror the current state, it definitely points to the future. My home state of Kerala is ahead of many parameters when compared to India, it is harbinger of things that will sooner or latter spread to other places. Likewise in another decade I feel at least 25% of public will think about safety as a priority. You can’t stop an idea whose time has come. This poll kindles the hope I have for our country going ahead. I’m sure the youngsters lurking on the forum would be watching the news related to safety and will definitely think about it while planning to buy cars. Even a pessimist like me can see shoots of optimism!

Let me quote a statistic to explain the conundrum the policy makers face in making policies / laws regarding vehicular safety. In Japan, when safety belts became mandatory, 80% of population became compliant with the law within a very short time. In India, seat belts became mandatory 2 decades ago. Very raw and limited accident data available with MoRTH states that, for all accidents analysed, 75-80% of fatalities are caused by drivers / passengers not wearing seat belts. The reasons captured in a survey about seat belt non-usage were fascinating - seat belts are difficult to wear, don't look good, clothes get soiled and crumpled etc. In this scenario, a strong body structure is the only sure shot solution. The future though will belong to Active Safety measures.