Crash test results reveal: Mahindra shines while Maruti Suzuki disappoints

The results of three Maruti Suzuki vehicles and one Mahindra vehicle have reignited the controversy over the reliability of the independent testing conducted by Global NCAP as well as the safety of vehicles marketed by foreign manufacturers in India

The three highlighted vehicles from India's top automaker Maruti Suzuki performed poorly in the most recent round of crash tests undertaken by Global NCAP, a UK-based road safety NGO. Four Indian vehicles were evaluated. The findings have sparked a new discussion over the reliability of these Global NCAP independent tests as well as the safety of vehicles marketed by foreign manufacturers in India.

Standards for crash tests

The acronym NCAP stands for New Car Assessment Programme. It is a set of safety tests developed by Global NCAP, a British organisation with editions in several auto markets and support from organisations like Bloomberg Philanthropies, the FIA Foundation (the organisation that oversees Formula 1 racing), International Consumer Testing and Research, and the Road Safety Fund. The safer the car is expected to be, the better the NCAP score.The Mahindra Scorpio-N, the only non-Maruti Suzuki vehicle on the list of the newest cars, received five stars for adult occupant protection and three stars for child occupant protection.

Suzuki's entry-level S-Presso and luxury hatchback Ignis both received only one star for adult occupant protection and zero stars for child occupant protection, in contrast to the well-known mid-range hatchback Swift, which received one star each for adult and child occupant protection. The three Maruti Suzuki vehicles were tested in accordance with their minimal safety requirements, which included two frontal airbags and an anti-lock braking system. None of the three models offered side curtain airbags as optional equipment or standard.According to Global NCAP, " all three models displayed unstable constructions during frontal crash testing”The most highly rated vehicles must additionally undergo assessments for ESC, pedestrian protection, and side impact pole protection according to Global NCAP's new criteria, which evaluate frontal and side impact protection for all tested models.

Are Global NCAP tests Reliant?

The Global NCAP tests are helpful for consumers when they decide which car to purchase, however they are considered to be extra measures to the government-mandated safety standards.

The UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) is the default global regulatory forum within the institutional framework of the UNECE Inland Transport Committee. These three UN Agreements, adopted in 1958, 1997, and 1998, provide the legal framework allowing Contracting Parties (member countries like India) attending the WP.29 sessions to establish regulatory instruments concerning motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment. These rules are the United Nations Rules, annexed to the 1997 Agreement, the UN Rules, attached to the 1958 Agreement, and the United Nations Global Technical Regulations (UN GTRs).

India signed the UN WP.29 1998 Agreement in February 2006 and has continued to actively contribute to the development of GTRs by providing data and subject matter expertise. Currently, more than 70% of India's safety regulations are either fully or partially aligned technically with GTRs and UN Regulations while maintaining the country's unique driving and environmental conditions. The Technical Standing Committee on Central Motor Vehicles Rules reviews these regulations on a regular basis and recommends revisions for adoption and subsequent announcement by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways under these Rules. They are the foundation of India's compliance framework for passenger vehicles.

Therefore, technically, every vehicle now on Indian roads complies with the government's safety standards, which were most recently updated in 2019. As soon as new government regulations went into effect, vehicles that didn't comply with them, such the Maruti Suzuki Omni or the Tata Sumo, had to be phased out. The sole purpose of the Global NCAP ratings, which go above and beyond regulatory criteria, is to assist consumers in making educated model selections and to encourage manufacturers to raise safety standards. However, because the Global NCAP standards are optional, manufacturers either sponsor the vehicles that are brought in for testing or the agency chooses them at random from dealerships. And they frequently choose automobile models with questionable safety records.

In the past, automakers like Maruti Suzuki have responded to these Global NCAP testing by claiming that they are in compliance with all laws and that the tests are carried out at speeds higher than those recommended by regulatory agencies in India, Europe, and the US. They are accurate to a point.The Suzuki Ignis with two airbags sold in the African market was tested by Global NCAP in 2019 and received three stars for adult occupant protection and one star for child occupant protection, while the Ignis sold in the UK market received three stars overall in the 2016 Euro NCAP tests with the standard safety equipment and five stars with a safety pack. However, there are some issues that could raise concerns. Therefore, it appears that the producer uses different metrics for each market.The customers who typically purchase entry-level cars in India are upgrading from two-wheelers, and the transition from two-wheelers to four-wheelers necessitates a certain level of safety improvement. As a result, the price of these cars cannot be significantly increased because doing so would delay the shift from two-wheelers to four-wheelers. This is one of the arguments used by automakers like Maruti Suzuki against the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' drive to mandate six airbags for all vehicles.

New Bharat NCAP norms

The government has been making some progress on the specific issues of standardising crash tests and upholding the integrity of Global NCAP, despite the fact that it has been greatly delayed. A draft notification introducing Bharat NCAP has recently been accepted by the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (New Car Assessment Program)The implementation of the plan will start on April 1st, 2023. This will put passenger cars with up to eight passengers and a curb weight of under 3.5 tonnes to the test. India will issue star ratings to vehicles based on accident test results that take into account regional regulations and traffic patterns. The Bharat NCAP concept was first established in 2016.

Bharat NCAP would function as a consumer-focused platform that enables buyers to choose safer automobiles based on their star ratings while fostering healthy competition among Indian manufacturers, according to a series of tweets earlier this year by MoRTH Minister Nitin Gadkari. In order to boost the export-worthiness of Indian autos as well as the safety of passengers, he stated, "Star rating of Indian cars based on crash tests is vitally crucial."Gadkari emphasised that the Bharat NCAP testing process must be in accordance with international crash test standards while taking into account the country's current laws. This would enable Indian automakers to have their vehicles assessed at our own internal testing facilities.

Bharat NCAP will also score CNG automobiles and electric vehicles depending on how well they performed in crash tests, in addition to performing passive safety tests on cars with internal combustion engines. Additionally, BNCAP is more likely to receive a single combined rating than the forms used by GNCAP, which provide separate star ratings for adult and child protection. When these standards take effect, manufacturers won't have much leeway.

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