GNCAP Result 2020 - Disappointing performance by S-presso, Grand i10 Nios and Kia Seltos!

   Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP) have now revealed the crash test results of three more best selling cars, under its Safer Cars for India initiative. The entry-level variant of each was chosen for the crash test.

    Global NCAP crash tests cars at a speed of 64kmph, which is 8kmph higher than the stipulated test speed under Indian safety norms. The Indian safety norms were upgraded in October 2019, and is now at par with, and ahead in some areas, in terms of safety norms, compared to markets like USA and Brazil.

All the cars were tested only for frontal crash protection.

November 2020 crash tests:

• Maruti Suzuki S-presso  : Adult : 0 stars.  Child :  2 stars

• Hyundai Grand i10 Nios : Adult : 2 stars.  Child : 2 stars

• Kia Seltos                          : Adult : 3 stars.  Child : 2 stars

Maruti Suzuki S-presso:

The S-Presso got an appalling zero star for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection. The S-Presso offers only driver airbag as standard. The body structure was rated as unstable along with the footwell area. Child occupant protection was poor with the poor performance of the restraint systems. The S-presso does not offer 3-point belts in all positions as standard and has no ISOFIX Child Restraint Systems (CRS).

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios:

The Grand i10 Nios achieved a disappointing two stars for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection. The Grand i10 Nios offers dual airbags and pretensioner equipped seatbelts for front passengers as standard. Its structure and the footwell area were rated as unstable. 

Child occupant protection showed poor results due to the absence of ISOFIX Child Restraint Systems. The Grand i10 Nios does not offer standard 3-point belts in all seating positions and does not offer standard ISOFIX anchorages.

Kia Seltos:

The Biggest disappointment is that the best selling Kia Seltos Crossover SUV achieved only three stars for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection. The Seltos offers dual front airbags and pretensioner seatbelts as standard. Its structure was rated as a borderline case unstable and the footwell area too was rated as unstable. Child occupant protection showed poor results mainly because of the absence of ISOFIX Child Restraint Systems. The car does not offer standard 3 point belts in all seating positions and has no ISOFIX anchorages standard.

The USA and Australian spec Kia Seltos had scored a full 5 star rating at the USNCAP and ANCAP tests respectively.

Domestic Manufacturers such as Tata Motors and Mahindra secured a full five-star rating for models including the Mahindra XUV300, Tata Altroz and Tata Nexon while the Mahindra Marazzo, Tata Tiago and Tata Tigor scored four-star ratings earlier this year.

These stark contrasts show the double standards of global manufacturers of Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Kia towards Indian consumers.

We recommend consumers to choose safer cars and drive safe.

Airbags are not a substitute for seatbelts, passengers must always wear seatbelts.