Maruti Suzuki breaks silence after Alto K10 and WagonR score poor in crash tests
A spokesperson for the Gurugram-based carmaker said that Maruti Suzuki has always prioritized safety and India's crash safety regulations are almost identical to European standards, and all the company's models comply with these regulations and are properly tested and certified by the Government of India.
FollowMaruti Suzuki is a popular car brand in India. But the safety of Maruti cars has often been debated. Maruti's Alto K10 and WagonR failed miserably in the recent Global NCAP crash tests. Following this, the safety of Maruti Suzuki cars has again become a topic of discussion.
It is a shocking fact that two of the most popular hatchbacks from India's largest car manufacturers have performed miserably in terms of safety. In particular, both cars scored zero stars for child safety. The Alto K10 with a two-star rating and the Wagon R with a one-star rating are now some of the lowest-rated cars by the global agency.
The reality is that Maruti Suzuki didn't give much importance to ratings until now. But Maruti has been caught off guard by the fact that two of the company's best-selling models have fared poorly in tests. News agency PTI reported that the company has responded to the crash test results.
Responding to the test results, Maruti Suzuki has assured that it will take all measures to manufacture safe cars for Indian consumers. A spokesperson for the Gurugram-based carmaker told PTI that Maruti Suzuki has always prioritized safety and India's crash safety regulations are almost identical to European standards, and all the company's models comply with these regulations and are properly tested and certified by the Government of India.
Maruti Suzuki cars have historically performed poorly in crash tests conducted by agencies such as Global NCAP. The agency has tested other Maruti cars before the Alto K10 and WagonR. The results are encouraging. Swift, S-Presso and Ignis are the Maruti cars previously tested by Global NCAP. All three models tested last year earned one star each in the senior occupant protection category.
Maruti Suzuki says that all cars manufactured for India have adequate safety features approved by the Indian government. The carmaker also offers additional safety features like hill-hold assist, 360-degree view camera and HuD display. The carmaker said it will continue to keep safety as one of its top priorities while building cars for customers.
The company also says that Maruti will focus more on launching the Indian version of Bharat NCAP instead of global rating agencies. The company states that it believes the government will come up with Bharat NCAP, an India-specific safety rating process, which will be more meaningful to Indian consumers.
Meanwhile, Global NCAP is keen to see how Maruti cars fair in the Bharat NCAP crash test. David Ward, president of the Towards Zero Foundation, said that with Bharat NCAP soon to begin, they will challenge Maruti Suzuki to engage with other leading domestic manufacturers, including Volkswagen and Skoda, to demonstrate their commitment to road safety and consumer protection.
Bharat NCAP, India's own vehicle safety assessment agency, is expected to conduct crash tests of vehicles manufactured in the country this year. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had issued a draft notification in this regard in June last year and the tests are likely to begin this month.
