[ron178]

The Maruti Celerio's brochure now indicates 6 airbags and 3-point seatbelts in all seats as standard equipment





I wonder why it is the Celerio specifically before all others — one explanation I can think of is that GNCAP are still buying their own cars in Africa, where the Celerio is sold as a Toyota. The export-spec models (Celerio and Vitz) also get i-Size positions with ISOFIX anchorages which are still apparently missing from the Indian car.

Brochure

Prices for the Celerio now start at INR 564000. I wonder what the old prices were.

[GTO]

Really rubbing my eyes in disbelief, but equally so damn happy that forums & social media bashing + customer awareness of safety + brutal competition forced Maruti into thinking about safety. Who on earth would have expected the Dzire to emerge as a 5-star GNCAP car? And now, a Celerio with 6 airbags as standard?!

Maruti is like the weak, scrawny kid in school who always failed gym class. Then, in the summer break, he started pumping at the gym, began karate classes and is coming back as a black belt.


Source

[searacer932]

Maruti is going against the principles of Mr. Bhargava . Nevertheless this is a very good move and I hope that Maruti gets all its cars to 5* and 4*.

Don’t know if six airbags will fit in small cars: RC Bhargava of Maruti

Read more at:
https://auto.economictimes.indiatime...rgava/91694725

[ron178]

Originally Posted by searacer932

I hope that Maruti gets all its cars to 5* and 4*.

If you look at even the latest Alto’s structural performance in its GNCAP test, there is not much they need to do to get to 4 stars if they are adding 6 airbags. As for the occupant compartment at large, not only was the survival space maintained, the passenger compartment was even judged to have remained stable, which means no penalty as far as NCAPs are concerned. What they will need to fix is the intrusion of the pedals and structural performance of the footwell. I am expecting that the Celerio will be similar to, if not better than the Alto, considering they were developed at similar times.

I was half expecting them to just reclassify it as a 4-seater to claim “3-point belts in all seats”, like Dacia did to sell the Kwid in Europe, but indeed they have added a belt to the middle seat.

The downside of course is that now for less than a lakh more you can get a Swift, which might be a little bit of a Santro moment for Maruti. Not that the Celerio was a great seller anyway.

[Dr.Driver]

The Brezza gets 6 airbags only on the top of the line ZXi+ trim. The Ciaz doesn't get it at all, XL6 gets a max of 4. MSIL must add 6 as standard to all of their cars as a major boost to safety.
Seeing them in Celerio is a great hope towards the greater good.

[wheelspinner]

Originally Posted by ron178

Prices for the Celerio now start at INR 564000. I wonder what the old prices were.

They were clearing old stocks with the dream edition, at 4.99L ex-showroom. I inquired, and they were even willing to chip in another Rs. 5,000 at month end for one of their in-stock cars. The price basically stayed the same with discounts last year. They seem to have a tough time selling this generation of Celerio, it is not doing very well compared to the other models in their portfolio. Let's see if these new safety features boost the sales.

Celerio is very light (800 kg, if I am not wrong). I wonder if they have added the much needed structural support, and added more weight to increase stability at higher speeds.

[buntee90]

One of my friends' Brezza Vxi is to be delivered in a day or two. Dealer just told him to wait for 15 days for the 6 Airbag Version.
So I guess it's a matter of few months before all MS cars get 6 Airbags as standard.

[ZenMaster]

For everyone wondering why Maruti is suddenly adding 6 Airbags as standard, it is not due to a sudden epiphany or enlightenment, but rather because the govt. is making 6 airbags STANDARD from sometime Mid-2025. So they are updating their portfolio because otherwise they won't be able to sell them in India. Every model will start having 6 Airbags and 3 Point seat belts as standard by whenever in 2025 the new regulations takes effect.

If there is any models that is impossible for them to add the 6 Airbags, then they will just have to discontinue it.

[fhdowntheline]

Whether it is by mandate or by choice, I am glad that the bar is being raised for basic safety equipment norms. My decision to go for the Swift over the Ignis last year was primarily due to this consideration (6 airbags). May the tribe increase !

[Aurora Zero]

Originally Posted by ron178

The Maruti Celerio's brochure now indicates 6 airbags and 3-point seatbelts in all seats as standard equipment

.

This is crazy good news but I would also like to enquire about the older cars that are already on road. My family owns a 2019 WagonR VXI (no passenger airbag) which does not get the safety package that is soon to be offered. I would highly request Suzuki India to make some efforts to retrofit as many on-road cars with 6 airbags and some structural integrity parts such as cross links and sway bars. This would have some short term losses for the company but I can definitely see a huge reputation boost for the company's unsafe past and their determination to finally deliver safer cars for India.

[arjab]

Good. At least the minimum safety threshold is being upped by means of this. It is another matter of debate whether the platform will be able to survive any extra impact loadings or not.

Anyways, Maruti is not doing this because it suddenly had a change of heart and wants to be the "Protector of the Masses". From middle of this year, Indian homologation rules will undergo significant changes and 6-airbags will become mandatory, if the manufacturer wants to sell a new model in the market.
Expect to see other OEM's to follow suit as well. Would be interesting to see what Maruti will do with the Eeco though!

[ron178]

Originally Posted by ZenMaster

because the govt. is making 6 airbags STANDARD from sometime Mid-2025.

Can you please point me to a source, as beyond the upcoming amendment to AIS-145 for rear seatbelt reminders which will be required by CMVR in April, I have not been able to find evidence of further amendments. It certainly would explain a lot.

[ellip5i5]

Hope this lends itself to safety moving out of marketing spiel to specifications

[LakeWalker]

Originally Posted by arjab

Would be interesting to see what Maruti will do with the Eeco though!

They should replace it with some other Kei car with a Van body type. I'm sure they have many in their portfolio. Eeco is outdated anyway.

Originally Posted by Aurora Zero

I would highly request Suzuki India to make some efforts to retrofit as many on-road cars with 6 airbags and some structural integrity parts such as cross links and sway bars.

I don't think that is technically even possible! If it were, you would've seen those in accessory shops.

Originally Posted by wheelspinner

They seem to have a tough time selling this generation of Celerio, it is not doing very well compared to the other models in their portfolio.

Because the previous gen Celario had the design of a 'fully grown', mature design. But this present gen design shouts "cheap beginner car with cost-cutting attempt" from the rooftops, even though it's not that cheap anymore.

[Aurora Zero]

Originally Posted by LakeWalker

I don't think that is technically even possible! If it were, you would've seen those in accessory shops.

I would agree that Airbags require specialised gear and knowledge to be installed properly and to be ensured that they will work as intended when required, but for a vehicle manufacturer as big as Suzuki India I would expect them to atleast try and retrofit the said airbags into models that may already have provision for the same. If I take the my own WagonR model for example very little is changed in terms of interior and structure and chassis from the 2019 MY to 2025 MY. So if under the new system the WagonR is fitted with the extra 5 airbags (since the driver one is already there) then they will have to change very little. All I wish to say is that the people who already bought their vehicles deserve to get the safety package, because they paid as much as the next guy will.