S Presso

Suzuki S-Presso South Africa-spec Model Is Claimed to be Safer Than the Indian-spec Model

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso didn’t enjoy that much popularity even during its launch as it is doing now. And the reason is something that a manufacturer can’t be proud about. In a recently released crash test report, Global NCAP revealed that the S-Presso scored a zero star in its crash test. It sparked a Twitter feud between Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors where the latter boasted about the safety of its cars. Global NCAP uses base-spec model of the cars that they test and they applied the same formula in the case of S-Presso as well.

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But now, Suzuki Auto South Africa’s national brand manager Brendon Carpenter has claimed that the Suzuki S-Presso available there is safer than the Indian spec model which was tested by the Global NCAP.

MAruti Suzuki S presso Ncap (1)

Statement

He said in an official statement, “The model that was used in the crash test is an Indian-specced model that is built exclusively for the Indian market. That particular model only features an airbag on the driver’s side and it also doesn’t have front seatbelts that feature pre-tensioners with load limiters. In South Africa, a driver and passenger airbag are standard across the S-Presso range, along with front seatbelts that include pre-tensioners with load limiters. The additional airbag and seatbelt enhancements make the local model a much safer vehicle. The S-Presso offers good value, but not at the expense of safety.”

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Crash test results

The results of the crash test were disappointing, to say the least as the S-Presso failed to score even one star! It received zero stars for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection. This is because the S-Presso offers only a driver airbag as standard. As per the test result, the passenger’s neck and chest zone have been severely impacted due to the crash, which explains the reason behind the zero-star result. NCAP has rated the S-Presso’s structure, footwell, and body as unstable and should be improved. Also, the S-Presso does not come with 3-point belts in all positions or ISOFIX anchorages for the Child Restraint Systems (CRS).

Maruti Suzuki S presso Ncap report (1)

Maruti Suzuki India’s official statement

Maruti Suzuki also released an official statement after the news of S-Presso failing the crash test miserably spread like a wildfire. The statement read, “Safety is a critical issue and is therefore closely regulated by governments around the world as they are responsible for the safety of the people in their countries. It cannot be left to the opinion of any self-proclaimed party. The Government of India has recently increased the stringency of car crash test standards and made them identical to European standards. All products of the company are fully compliant with these global standards and duly tested and certified by the Government of India.”

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