Datsun Go Real live drive event Chennai

Datsun GO body shell to be toughened post diabolic crash-test performance at Global NCAP

Datsun Go Real-live drive event Chennai (12)

Keen viewers might recollect the Global NCAP safety tests conducted on some Indian cars a while back. You might also recollect the embarrassment that followed those tests, with most cars’ safety ratings in absolute shambles. One of those cars, was the Datsun GO hatchback. The affordable Japanese urban runabout fared diabolically and brought into highlight, what could be if one of these crashed. Everything, from the car’s lack of safety features such as ABS, airbags and most crucially, its flimsy body shell was blamed for the overall negative results.

datsun-go-crash-test

You wouldn’t wanna be in there, would you? No wonder the GO was a no-GO at Global NCAP.

However, Datsun’s parent company Nissan, has decided to make things better for the GO and are working on making the car safer. Apparently, NCAP was so concerned by the Datsun hatchback, that they even requested Nissan to revoke the model on grounds of poor passenger safety in the event of a crash. Although Nissan chose to not do that, what they have opted for, thankfully, is to upgrade the steel body of the car. This, along with the addition of side-impact beams, ABS and airbag/s, will make the car fare far better when similar tests are conducted, next time. The side-impact beams not only add to the occupant safety in case of a side collision, they also add rigidity to the overall body shell of the vehicle.

Datsun GO+side profile

We hope the larger GO+ gets the safety upgrades, too.

According to engineering boffins, the steel used in the current Datsun GO hatchback, has a tensile strength of 320 megapascals. On the upgraded GO, however, that number has grown to 520 megapascals. This means that the new car’s body shell can endure a lot more punishment before disintegrating. The stronger steel along with the addition of new safety features, might well bring out the ‘stars’ in the upcoming, safer Datsun GO. We recently did a story on a new upcoming small car by Datsun and reports suggest that this new affordable small car, already incorporates this high-tensile steel for better body shell rigidity. It is a welcome sight to see things on the fronts of safety, improving in the Indian auto scene and we are only glad. However, it is high time that car buyers ask for and choose models equipped with vital safety features, rather than just opting for cars with more chrome and a fancy stereo system. Because the latter, isn’t going to protect you if you were to have a crash.

Source – ET

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