Sanitization and social distancing has become a mandatory process in the automotive industry, thanks to the on-going Covid 19 pandemic. All the cars are to be sanitized before delivery to the customer and the dealership must ensure that no other person gets access to the inside of the car other than the allotted customer. However, Tata Motors have gone a step further in this regard and started delivering its cars and SUVs in a unique plastic bubble known as Safety Bubble which is claimed to shield the car from bacteria and viruses even further.

This Safety Bubble procedure has been introduced under the “Sanitised by Tata Motors” initiative which was launched in August 2020 and also involves deep cleaning and sanitization of the vehicle along with measures to reduce direct physical contact. Tata motors will soon be introducing this Safety bubble at all it's dealerships to ensure uniform sanitization standards.

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   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

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.

After it was stopped in 1996, Ford has been planning to re- introduce the Bronco. News is that the Bronco has a smaller sibling as well – the Bronco Sport which will be available with three different types of grilles- Modern, Classic, and Custom.

Ford says the new Bronco will be a body- on- frame 4x4 built to take on some of the toughest terrains. Features include a solid rear axle and an Air Roof while Ford’s Terrain Management System, Trail Control and a novel active suspension could be optional features.

Also on the cards could be a more hardcore version of

Many patent applications suggest what appears to be a very unique concept. Several parts of the Bronco’s body could be removable like doors and the roof to allow open- air motoring. Ford has also patented a safety system which uses telescopic beams to protect drivers in a crash when the doors are removed. The Bronco could come with 10 colours as per the leaked color palette.

With the ongoing trend of Ford’s EcoBoost Engines, the Bronco could get one as well. It could most likely receive a 2.3 litre EcoBoost unit that produces 270 Horsepower and 420 NM of torque mated to a 10 Speed Automatic. A hybrid and a V8 engine are also expected.

It is also highly likely that the Ford Bronco could receive the Twin Turbocharged 2.7 litre V6 engine from the F-150 that produces 325 HP and 542 NM of torque. The off roader would be produced at Ford’s plant in Wayne, Michigan. From the looks of it, Ford plans to offer the Bronco in America initially as there are no reports of plans to offer the Bronco in other markets globally. However, Ford has filed for a Trademark on Bronco in Europe. That should say a lot.

The Bronco could be priced around 35,000$ in USA. It was expected to be featured at the 2020 New York Auto Show that got cancelled. We expect the official unveiling to occur sometime in the last quarter of 2020.

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