[GeeTee TSI]

Well well, the unrivalled market leader is perturbed enough to even dare to talk about safety in their adverts!
I choose to see this as the inevitable shift of the market towards safety as a 'feature', bragging rights even.

Thank you, Tata & Mahindra for shaking the giant from his slumber

[Ton Ami]

To further prove their point, Maruti should do a speed collision of their car having crumple zones, with an old mark 2 Ambassador (which had no crumple zones).

This will immediately install confidence in customers mind about the Maruti crumple zones :-)

[Bluengel180]

I don't blame them. Before the GNCAP testing of Indian cars people on this forum used to debate on how maruti cars only look fragile but it was infact the crumple zones that were doing thier job. Maruti is now just using the same logic to built a narrative.

The Japanese actually built very safe cars in India that used crumple zones effectively but maruti's aren't among them.

If they are suddenly interested in safety let them get their cars tested.

[MT_Hyderabad]

Dear Maruti, we know about your crumple zones and how effective they are. Just that you don't know about structural integrity and it's importance. Hope you teach the concept of crumple zone to GNCAP and get better ratings. They seemed to be quite naive to 'your' concept.

https://youtu.be/nqkdZN569eM

[Maverick_4662]

With it's market position, Maruti can single handedly change the road safety situation in India. Sad to see their priorities. While on the topic, saw this WagonR which had used it's 'crumple zones' near my home.

[Illuminati]

Isn't it grossly misleading the way Maruti is showing the whole engine bay area as a crumple zone? The Crumple zone is generally between (150 -300 mm) in the front while the rest of BIW long rails act as load paths, to transfer the energy throughout the vehicle body away from the passenger.

What will happen to the engine after the crash if the entire engine bay area is a crumple zone?

Or is their engine also part of the crumple zone?

[Joeboy]

Many car buyers may know that Maruti cars are tin boxes and are not really safe. They still buy the cars based on the USP of the brand (ie) Resale value, Mileage and plenty of service centres.

[anjan_c2007]

We may soon :-

(1) See Maruti Bhargava saying in a new interview that Maruti has always stood for the safety of its cars and their passengers. And also that Maruti is taking 'safety' to the next level.

(2) The 'next level' package will include a brand new advt proclaiming "Safer than a Volvo."*

(* Unfortunately Volvo does not compete with Maruti in any segment)

[lapis_lazuli]

Originally Posted by Joeboy

Many car buyers may know that Maruti cars are tin boxes and are not really safe. They still buy the cars based on the USP of the brand (ie) Resale value, Mileage and plenty of service centres.

"It cannot/won't happen to me" or "I drive only in cities"

No one inside Maruti questions, how at similar price points, other brand are easily giving protection features and better build?

[sam264_2000]

Originally Posted by AutoNoob

....However, one thing that I can co-relate from this ad is the excessive repair work that's required on these vehicles even in case of minor impacts....

Can attest to this one. Recently my Celerio was hit by an Activa driven on wrong side where the rider lost control, skidded and hit the right front lower part of bonnet. I was driving at less than 20kmph. I'm not sure of the speed of Activa. But just this one low impact hit and the lower end of the bonnet has a hole in it and is slightly crumpled. All fine with the Activa

[raghukodali]

I actually don't understand the problem statement very clearly whenever safety and MSIL discussions come together.

1. Is the problem with MSIL? if yes, is it a compliance issue that they are not following any of the local mandatory rules? or is it an ethical issue that we feel that they should take a moral and ethical high ground and make their cares safer than what they are now?

2. Is this the problem with the government? Is the government not upto the mark of specifying the safety standards for automobiles in the country?

3. Is the problem with the people who are buying the MSIL cars in droves? The numbers that MSIL sells on one failed model is an unachievable dream run for many European+American car makers in the country for their entire portfolio.

I personally don't want to call that this is a problem with the people because statistically speaking, the decisions of these many people buying MSIL cars just cannot be called stupid. People to a very large % are intelligent and exactly know what they want.

I also don't believe that MSIL is skirting any statutory requirements.

SO what it tells me is that we are just upset that they don't take the lead and show a safety path for the rest of the automakers or we just hate them for their success. I don't blame MSIL for this. They are a business house not violating any local laws and regulations, turning out a profit and with millions of happy customers who will still go buy a MSIL car again.

[SN88]

A little insight as to whom this advt is targetted.

Do we all know those emails where some Nigerian king has left us with a billion dollars and we need to pay a few thousands deposit to collect the money. These are intentionally made extremely dumb so that the most vulnerable of the crowd will fall for it thus creating a natural filter of sorts. They only want to attract those people and the ones with the slightest of common sense ignore it.

This advt is something like that, targetted to the most vulnerable who are available in plenty in our country.

[MT_Hyderabad]

Originally Posted by raghukodali

I actually don't understand the problem statement very clearly whenever safety and MSIL discussions come together.
I personally don't want to call that this is a problem with the people because statistically speaking, the decisions of these many people buying MSIL cars just cannot be called stupid. People to a very large % are intelligent and exactly know what they want.

In case you missed the shift in the priorities of the Indian Consumer, in recent years there is a sudden rise in car sales from makers of crude cars, which do not match the mileage figures of the Marutis.

This ad is created to counter their selling point. Safety!

[raghukodali]

Originally Posted by MT_Hyderabad

In case you missed the shift in the priorities of the Indian Consumer, in recent years there is a sudden rise in car sales from makers of crude cars, which do not match the mileage figures of the Marutis.

This ad is created to counter their selling point. Safety!

Looking at the sales charts, I don't see any significant shift in the priorities of Indian customers in terms of the car companies. There is some shift which I don't call significant. MSIL used to be 48% market share 10 years back. it is now at 44% as per the Feb sales figures. Hardly called as significant shift.

MSIL came up with this ad to counter their competitors. What is there to blame MSIL on it? Part of the game.

In this whole thread, I don't understand a reason to blame MSIL on anything. As I mentioned in my previous post, They are a successful business house not breaking any local laws and millions of happy customers. what is the problem?

[MT_Hyderabad]

Originally Posted by raghukodali

Looking at the sales charts, I don't see any significant shift in the priorities of Indian customers in terms of the car companies. There is some shift which I don't call significant. MSIL used to be 48% market share 10 years back. it is now at 44% as per the Feb sales figures. Hardly called as significant shift.

MSIL came up with this ad to counter their competitors. What is there to blame MSIL on it? Part of the game.

In this whole thread, I don't understand a reason to blame MSIL on anything. As I mentioned in my previous post, They are a successful business house not breaking any local laws and millions of happy customers. what is the problem?

Problem is nothing. Who is saying there is a problem? Members are just discussing a poorly made ad from the market leader.

Some may not like this discussion as they owned or own a Maruti car, some may even work for Maruti, who knows?

The poor structural integrity of Maruti cars is not hidden from the masses and has all the right to be debated on automobile related forums at least, if not in the Parliament.

The data from recent years is mind boggling:
"Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) slimmed its market share to eight year low at 43% in the financial year ending March 31, 2022, an exceptional loss of over 8 percentage points in just three years.

MSIL had been maintaining a market share of about 50% in the Indian passenger vehicle space for a long time and kept the crown of 51% until FY20"
https://auto.economictimes.indiatime...-high/90688524