Suzuki Baleno NCAP

India made Suzuki Baleno gets a three star rating in EuroNCAP; four with safety pack

Suzuki Baleno NCAP (4)

The India made Suzuki Baleno became the first car in EuroNCAP’s history to get a dual rating. While the variant with standard equipment scored 3 stars out of 5, the one with the optional safety pack was awarded a respectable 4 stars.  Unfortunately for us though, the safety pack, which includes a radar guided autonomous braking system, isn’t available on the Baleno sold in India.

With the safety pack on, the Baleno’s report card showed a commendable 85 per cent on adult occupant safety, but when the test was repeated with child occupants, the score dropped to 73 per cent. Pedestrian safety was rated at 65 per cent, while the performance of the “Safety Assist” systems scored 43 per cent. In comparison, the Baleno with standard equipment scored 80 per cent on adult occupant safety, while child and pedestrian safety results were exactly the same as the Baleno with the safety pack.

Suzuki Baleno NCAP (3)

Where the Baleno with standard safety equipment took a hit though was the performance of the “Safety Assist” systems, which weighed in at a lowly 25 per cent. It was found out that the only “Safety Assist” feature was the seatbelt reminder system – fitted as standard for all seating positions, leading to the mediocre overall score of the Baleno’s standard variant.

This is the first year in which EuroNCAP is allowing two different star ratings for the same vehicle, as top-end variants of the same car usually come with additional safety equipment. By default, a base rating will be generated for a car equipped with no additional safety equipment, and then, if the manufacturer chooses, another rating will be generated for the variant with extra safety equipment.

 

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