Indian automakers won't admit inferiority of their cars, slam crash test results

We all know that seven India-spec car models from Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, Renault, and Hyundai recently failed the Global NCAP crash test in a horrible manner. These are the cars that have been selling in very good numbers in India by virtue of their practicality, design and more importantly, fuel economy.

The crash tests proved beyond any doubt that these cars do little to protect their occupants in the event of an accident. What’s even more alarming is that, when the spotlight is focused on the automakers, they didn’t waste any time in shifting the blame towards the country’s vehicular safety standard or the lack of it.

Just as we expected, the carefully worded responses from Mahindra, Renault, Maruti and Hyundai claim that their cars including the ones which failed the Global NCAP tests “meet or exceed” the safety requirements that are currently in place in India. Renault added that it supports the upcoming Bharat NCAP and obey the timeline in making its products compatible with the increased safety standards.

Mahindra, on the other hand, didn’t acknowledge the fact that the Scorpio’s structure proved to be highly unstable under impact. Instead, the Indian UV specialist highlighted that the variant tested didn’t have airbags. The company also stated that 75% of Scorpios sold are fitted with dual airbags.

There is no doubt that airbags mitigate injuries, but a stable body shell is imperative for occupant safety irrespective of other safety features on board.

Mahindra’s Statement

All Mahindra Automotive products are developed and manufactured to meet or exceed the safety standards set in India for a safe driving experience. In fact, many models exceed the expected regulations of 2019.

The star rating as released by Global NCAP (GNCAP) in the latest crash test was conducted on non-airbags variant of the Scorpio. Typically, in any star rating process, non-airbag variants do not perform well on safety standards.

Most variants of the Scorpio are equipped with airbags and a safety package. Approximately 75% of Scorpio customers choose the air bags variants of the vehicle.

There is nothing more important to us than our customer’s safety. We are committed to meeting and exceeding all current and future safety norms and in most cases giving our customers choice of enhanced safety beyond the regulated standards.

Renault’s Statement

GNCAP announced their results today and welcomed Renault’s efforts and commitment to safety enhancement. Safety is of paramount importance for Renault and all our products meet and exceed the requisite safety standards set by Indian Regulatory Authorities. India is gradually moving towards international safety norms by including more robust safety regulations and the assurance of the Bharat NCAP is a positive step in this direction. As a customer-focused company, Renault fully supports this initiative and we are already future-ready in terms of technology, design and engineering for enhanced safety for all our vehicles. Indian Government has announced that the crash test regulation for the existing cars will come into effect in 2019 and for the new cars in 2017 . Renault is committed to comply with these timelines.

This article first appeared on Rushlane.com