Some of the most popular small cars sold in India, including Maruti Alto 800, Tata Nano, Ford Figo, Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Polo, have failed crash tests showing high risk of life-threatening injuries in road accidents, according to Global NCAP.
These cars received an adult protection rating of zero for frontal impact at 64 km/hour, in tests by Global NCAP, an independent charity based in the UK focused on consumer orientated vehicle safety initiatives,
The combined sales of these five cars account for around 20 per cent of all the new cars sold in India last year, NCAP said.
According to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, total car sales in 2013 stood at 18,07,011 units.
Global NCAP Chairman Max Mosley said: “Poor structural integrity and the absence of airbags are putting the lives of Indian consumers at risk. They have a right to know how safe their vehicles are and to expect the same basic levels of safety which are standard in other part of the world.”
India is now a major global market and production centre for small cars, so it’s worrying to see levels of safety that are 20 years behind the five-star standards now common in Europe and North America, he added.
When contacted, spokespersons of the companies named said their products met Indian safety norms.
According to the findings, in Maruti Alto 800, Tata Nano and Hyundai i10, the vehicle structures proved inadequate and collapsed to varying degrees, resulting in high risks of life-threatening injuries to the occupants.
“The extent of the structural weaknesses in these models is such that fitting airbags would not be effective in reducing the risk of serious injury,” it said.