[ron178]

Was watching an interview of a popular Chilean auto magazine with Latin NCAP last month, when something caught my eye.


(Picture credit: RutaMotor Chile via YouTube at 7:20)

Not the grey car, that's a Brazilian Polo.

The red car on the right caught my attention, because neither GNCAP not Latin NCAP have tested a red car with curtain airbags, at least for some time now.

So I decided to look closer, thinking it's some car sold in Latin America, and near the end of the video, I found this:


(at 19:50)


(from RutaMotor's Instagram handle)

It's a red, right hand-drive Hyundai with a sunroof.

I'm not very good at identifying cars, and with Bharat NCAP launching in a week (indicating a round of GNCAP results might be on the way), curiosity got the better of me and I decided to make a thread.

I think this car is the new Hyundai Verna. Here's why:

• It is right hand-drive, so it can't be Latin American
• There are other older Indian cars in the warehouse (Wagon R, City 4, Nissan Magnite etc.)
• Since the frontal impact car has curtain airbags, it must be something with 6 airbags across the range
• It has the logo on the sheetmetal on the hood and not on the grille or the little plastic bit above it (as is the case with other Hyundais like the new i20)

More information:
Look at the second image. At the very right of the screen is a grey car, again with a Hyundai logo on the hood, with a faintly visible code 'MD1923...'. That means whatever car it is, side impact testing was performed in early May.

What car do you think it is? Is it a Verna, or is it something else? Could it be something European? Keep in mind ADAC also tests cars for Euro NCAP, including occasionally right hand-drive cars purchased in the UK.


Also, although it's not easy to see, does the grey SUV behind the Taigun look like a base model TUV300/Bolero Neo?

(11:39)


(15:22)

[MotorDev]

Well spotted, that does appear to be a Verna. Based on the picture, it seems like it managed to contain the damage quite effectively. Although, it's wiser to reserve any comments for the time being. However, there's a possibility that it could receive a 5-star rating.

As for the Bolero Neo, it does look rather scary. The bent roof could be a result of testing for a side pole crash, or it might have encountered a significant impact. Again, it's wiser to reserve any comments for the time being.

[ron178]

Originally Posted by MotorDev

Although, it's wiser to reserve any comments for the time being.

Indeed, that is why I hesitated for a month to make a thread. It's not nice if people speculate a good rating (and it is potentially picked up as a rumour) only for their expectations to be let down. Most cars today "look" fine from the outside including other Hyundais like the Creta and i20, but there can be intrusion lower down or problems with the restraint systems.

However - if I have read the side impact code correctly as May 2023, then that is pretty soon after the Verna's launch, and would indicate Hyundai might have sponsored the test, although, again, that doesn't imply a good rating as we saw with the Carens (speaking of which, there is some evidence it has undergone retesting too, although much later than the Verna).

Originally Posted by MotorDev

Attachment 2507429

That image makes me much more confident that it is the Verna, especially since the shape of the chrome trim on the C-pillar is visible through the Polo's window.

Originally Posted by MotorDev

As for the Bolero Neo, it does look rather scary. The bent roof could be a result of testing for a side pole crash, or it might have encountered a significant impact. Again, it's wiser to reserve any comments for the time being.

It does look scary; that can't be a side pole test car because the Bolero Neo (if that is the SUV pictured) doesn't have any side head protection device (a thorax-head or curtain airbag) and would not qualify to undergo the test in the first place. Looks like a frontal impact car.

Regardless of how it has performed, GNCAP added a clause last year to award no points to cars with side-facing seats, so unless they pull off a Thar again, things are looking pretty grim.

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by ron178

Indeed, that is why I hesitated for a month to make a thread. It's not nice if people speculate a good rating (and it is potentially picked up as a rumour) only for their expectations to be let down. Most cars today "look" fine from the outside including other Hyundais like the Creta and i20, but there can be intrusion lower down or problems with the restraint systems.

@ron178, you are whetting up my curiosity and those on the Europe vs Far Eastern divide. Any birdie inputs as to when the results may be released ?

[ron178]

Next round of GNCAP results early next week, according to Siddharth Patankar’s Twitter.

Says “a different kind of crash test”, could be a side pole test on a car with 6 airbags (Verna/Nexon/Carens?)

Link to Tweet

EDIT: Looking at the laboratory in the video I have a small feeling this is not a regular GNCAP release of results and that the “different kind of test” could be a car-to-car crash test (somehow involving the Wagon R, more on that later), not a side pole test.

[ron178]

“Hyundai is all set to announce some safety-related initiatives today around 12 noon”, says Autocar while tweeting a picture of Verna body-in-white on display.

Could it be the Verna’s GNCAP rating?

[RavenAvi]

The Hyundai Verna becomes the first Hyundai in India to score 5 stars in the Global NCAP.



Full report on Adult & Child safety parameters will be out soon.

[ron178]

No word from GNCAP yet, but CarWale says Verna has scored 5 stars. Link to Tweet.

[volkman10]

Hyundai Verna scores 5-star Global NCAP safety rating.

Verna is among the last few cars to be tested under the Safer cars for India programme.

Comments:

Frontal impact: the protection offered to the driver’s and passenger’s head and neck was good. Driver’s chest showed marginal protection and passenger’s chest showed good protection. Driver’s and passenger’s knees showed marginal protection as they can impact dangerous structures behind the fascia. Driver’s tibias showed adequate protection and passenger’s tibias showed good and adequate protection. Footwell area was rated as unstable. The bodyshell was rated as unstable and it is not capable of withstanding further loadings.

Side impact: head, pelvis and abdomen showed good protection while chest showed adequate protection.

Side pole impact: curtain airbags are standard and meet the fitment requirements showing good protection to the head and pelvis, marginal protection to the chest and adequate protection to the abdomen.

ESC is fitted as standard and the performance shown in the test was acceptable according to Global NCAP’s latest requirements.

SBR is standard in all seating positions but only meets the requirements in the front positions. All this explained the 5 star result

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82fQ...nel=GlobalNCAP

Source: GNCAP

[abaliga]

5 stars with an unstable shell is something that I cant rely on, note that the latest gen Maruti Suzuki Alto had a stable body shell when it scored 2 stars on the latest GNCAP protocol!