The Hyundai i20 was one of the latest made in India vehicles tested by Global NCAP under its safer cars for India program. The i20 and the Creta SUV, which were both crashed in the latest test cycle, are the best-rated vehicles from Hyundai at GNCAP.
The i20 scored 8.84 out of 19 points to get a 3 star rating for Adult safety. The i20 hatchback also earned a 3 star rating for child safety scoring 36.89 points out of a total of 49.
Like every other car tested by Global NCAP, the made for India Hyundai i20 was the base model of the premium hatchback. The entry-level i20 hatchback gets the following standard safety features – two airbags, ABS, ISOFIX anchor points, front seatbelt pretensioners, and seat belt reminders. The base i20 was tested for frontal impact at 64km/h.
Dig deeper into the testing notes provided by Global NCAP about the i20’s crash test results and there are some worrying bits. The biggest cause for worry is the fact that the footwell and body shell were both rated as unstable with the latter unable to withstand further loadings. That last point makes us worry about the i20 in a crash with multiple impacts.
In terms of protection offered to the driver and front passenger, the i20 was rated ‘good’ for the driver’s neck area. Other areas also rated good in terms of protection offered include the front passenger’s head, neck, chest and left tibia areas. The protection for the driver’s head, tibias and feet along with the passenger’s right tibia area were deemed to be adequate. The protection offered to both the driver and front passenger’s knee areas was deemed to be marginal.
With a forward-facing child seat fitted for a 3-year-old, the i20 prevents excessive forward movement while also providing good protection for the chest area. However, protection for the neck area of the child was deemed to be poor. In the case of the 18-month-old strapped down in a rearward-facing child seat, the Hyundai i20 supported the legs while offering good protection to the head and chest areas.
Thoughts On The Hyundai i20’s Performance At GNCAP Testing
The Hyundai i20 is the highest rated made for India car from the South Korean marque to be tested by GNCAP. However, despite the fact that it scored 3 stars, that body shell being deemed unstable and the protection offered to the driver’s chest area rated as weak are big red flags.
With Global NCAP’s testing set to get even stricter, Hyundai needs to step up its game with the cars it sells in India to get a high safety rating. Hopefully, with more safety features set to become mandatory later this year, cars will become a whole lot safer for the Indian customer.
Keyword: Hyundai i20 Earns 3 Star Rating In GNCAP Safety Testing