maruti suzuki swift crash test

Maruti Alto; Swift, Hyundai i10; Eon, and Honda Jazz banned in Assam over safety issues

Global NCAP Crash tst Indian Cars Suzuki_Maruti_Alto

If you’re in Assam and thinking of buying a small car, you’re in for some bad luck. Guwahati High Court has issued a ban on the launch and sale of small cars that don’t meet crash-test norms in the state in response to petitions that insist on safer vehicles.

The petitioners have cited the failure of the cars in the Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP), a UK based body that independently conducts crash tests of all vehicles sold in Europe and beyond, and gives a safety rating for each vehicle, with the maximum being five stars. A handful of India-made small cars, including the Datsun Go, Hyundai i10 and the Maruti Swift were also put to a similar test last year, and received a shocking ZERO star rating. The petitioners believe that Global NCAP ratings should apply to cars sold in Assam as well, because higher safety standards are required in mountainous regions.

The high court heard their woes, and on June 26, barred all manufacturers from selling cars tin the state that did not meet the safety regulations, affecting about 140 models, including bestsellers like the Alto and Swift from Maruti Suzuki; i10 and Eon from Hyundai; along with the newly launched Honda Jazz. Rest assured, the manufacturers are miffed about the ban, as Assam is the largest market in North East India, accounting for over 12% of total sales in the country. Moreover, a sluggish auto market isn’t helping their cause either.

The report says that the concerned manufacturers are putting up their cases individually, as well as through its apex body, SIAM (Society of Indian Manufacturers). Major car companies including  Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Honda and Toyota confirmed they are facing issues in the market after the court order. The next hearing in the case is scheduled on August 27.

Our 2 cents:

Proper Indian automotive safety norms aren’t in place yet, so when manufacturers say that their respective vehicles fully comply to Indian safety norms, which just includes a basic frontal impact test, or steering impact test, they can’t be theoretically blamed. Moreover, Anti Lock Brakes (ABS) and airbags are yet to be made mandatory on all passenger cars sold in India. However, from October 2017, a new regulatory body called the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Programme (BNVSAP) will be set up to ensure that all Indian made vehicles provide basic safety in line with global standards for adult occupants, children and pedestrians. It probably wouldn’t hurt to wait till then before banning all the vehicles, as a similar ban in other states will throw the entire industry in a total disarray!

Its a shame that similar vehicles sold in other countries are built to be safer than their Indian counterparts. For example, the Honda Jazz sold in Australia and New Zealand scored a commendable five stars from Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) safety rating agency. The safety mesh on the tested model included dual frontal, side chest and side head airbags (curtains) as standard, along with ABS, electronic brake distribution (EBD) and electronic stability control (ESC), reversing collision avoidance and emergency stop signal (ESS). Most of these aforementioned safety nets are not offered on the Indian Jazz, which is one of models banned in Assam.Its important that our government lays down some basic guidelines to strengthen the safety aspects of the cars sold in India. The earlier it happens, the better.

via The Economic Times

 

11 thoughts on “Maruti Alto; Swift, Hyundai i10; Eon, and Honda Jazz banned in Assam over safety issues”

  1. It is foolish to compare norms in other countries with india and to rate indian cars based on those tests which are based on driving conditions abroad. We cannot ask car manufacturers to upgrade safety features while makeshift vehicles are plying everywhere, cattle is roaming freely even in millennium city, basic safety rules are being violated and sense ignored. Instead, once we achieve these basic discipline and order then comes the second step of making airbags and abs mandatory. At least car manufacturers are trying to provide safer means of transport than makeshift vehicles and cheaper options to 4-5 people riding on 2 wheelers, or 12-15 people in 3 wheelers.

  2. Fantastic move. In our country if you leave to democracy it becomes a mockery of sorts. Tell me one bill has being passed for the people. If all cars have mandatory requirements of Airbags and ABS, customers will shell out more. They might delay the plan a bit but will shell out more because they don’t have cheaper options. Yes some sale numbers might be effected for a shorter period but in the long run it will be work out. VW & Toyota have made airbags mandatory why cant others. The same should apply to Two wheelers too (ABS).

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