The Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) recently gave the Maruti Suzuki WagonR a 2-star rating, based on its crash tests. They tested the driver airbag variant of the WagonR, which was equipped with features such as ABS and SBR (Seat Belt Reminder). The Maruti WagonR comes under the 5-door hatchback segment and weighs over 1,013 kgs (including the weight of crash test dummies). Also, these crash tests were carried out at a speed of 64 kmph, have a look!
Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Ignis Scores 3-Stars For Adults In Global NCAP Crash Test
The WagonR receives 2 stars in terms of safety for an average adult occupant, as the protection offered to the driver and passenger’s head and neck was good enough, however, the driver and passenger’s chest showed weak protection. Both the front adult occupant’s knees showed marginal protection as they could impact with dangerous structures behind the dashboard, which is supported by the tranfascia tube. Apart from interior occupant safety, the bodyshell itself was rated as unstable and was not capable of withstanding further loadings.
The safety rating for a child occupant in the WagonR gets 2 stars, as the child seat that was installed for a 3-year-old child with a forward-facing adult seatbelt was not able to prevent extreme forward movement during the impact, due to which the dummy child’s head came in contact with the front seat. Also, the 3-year-old Child Restraint System (CRS) failed during the test and the recommended CRSs did not show any signs of conflict. The vehicle does not offer 3 point belt in all seating positions and it also does not offer ISOFIX anchorages.
David Ward, CEO and President of Global NCAP said, “The latest results in our #SaferCarsforIndia crash tests show a mixed safety performance, and disappointingly, there are no five-star performers. The Suzuki Maruti Ertiga achieves a creditable three stars for both adult and child occupant protection, but it’s obvious to us that more can and should be done to improve overall protection levels for cars sold in the market. The Indian government’s crash test standards are clearly helping to eliminate any new zero star cars from the market, and we will continue to work with them to ensure the push of regulatory requirements is complemented by the pull of consumer awareness, encouraging the demand for ever-higher levels of safety.”