Maruti Suzuki Ignis, S-Presso, Swift Receive Just One Star In Latest Round Of Global NCAP Crash Tests

The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso, Ignis and Swift have been tested by the global safety watchdog, Global NCAP under the safer cars for India campaign. All three cars have been made in India and are exported to various markets including Latin America and Africa. This is not the first time that the company has crash-tested made-in-India models of the S-Presso and the Swift, and that time around too the safety rating was disappointing. We say disappointing because all three cars have received a 1-star rating from Global NCAP, but the difference is that this time around these cars is tested under more stringent rules and norms. 

Also Read: Mahindra Scorpio-N Gets 5 Star Rating In Latest Global NCAP Crash Tests

Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Global NCAP said, “Global NCAP congratulates Mahindra on its continuing commitment to safety, achieving five stars for adult occupant protection under our new, more demanding crash test protocols. However, it is of great concern that the manufacturer with the largest market share in India, Maruti Suzuki, still offers such poorly performing models, which don’t even make some key safety systems available to consumers in India as optional equipment.” 

Global NCAP noted that all three Maruti’s demonstrated unstable structures in the event of a frontal collision as well as the lack of side airbags and ESC as standard or as an option.

In the frontal offset barrier test, the Swift offered good to adequate levels of protection to the front passenger. The results for the driver were lower in comparison with poor protection of the feet and weak protection of the chest. The Side deformable barrier impact revealed weak chest protection through good head and pelvis protection. A side pole impact was not conducted due to the lack of head protection in the vehicle.

In terms of child occupant protection, the protection offered to the three-year-old in the child seat showed good head protection, though chest protection was marginal. The 18-month dummy meanwhile revealed poorer results with poor head and chest protection owing to the child seat being forward facing. The agency also noted the lack of a passenger airbag deactivation switch to safely install a child seat.

The S-Presso meanwhile offered poor driver chest protection in the frontal impact with protection for other areas ranging between good and marginal. The side impact test showed marginal protection to the head and chest while here too a side pole impact test was not conducted due to a lack of safety measures.

For child occupants, Global NCAP noted that the manufacturer did not recommend any child restraint system (CRS) thus not being awarded any dynamic points. Furthermore, the three-year occupant sitting in a forward-facing seat showed excessive forward head excursion. The 18-month-old dummy in a rear-facing child seat meanwhile showed good head protection but poor chest protection.

The Ignis offered good to weak levels of protection for frontal impact while side-impact testing revealed poor chest and weak head protection. The side pole impact test was not conducted.

Here too, Global NCAP noted the lack of manufacturer-recommended CRS. The agency, however, noted that the forward-facing child seat for a 3-year-old and the rear-facing seat for an 18-month-old was able to prevent head exposure during a frontal impact and offered good levels of protection.