An Indian-market Maruti Suzuki city car has been awarded a zero-star adult safety rating following a shocking test by Global NCAP.
The safety organisation tested the entry-level version of Maruti Suzuki’s S-Presso, which only features an airbag on the driver’s side, and fortunately isn’t available in the UK. The zero-star score was largely down to the high loadings registered in the neck of the dummy in the passenger seat.
But NCAP explained that chest loadings were high for both the passenger and the driver. It rated the body structure as unstable and in need of improvement.
Highlighting just how far some countries are when it comes to road safety, the S-Presso doesn’t feature three-point seatbelts for all occupants or ISOFIX child seat mounting points.
Unsurprisingly, NCAP said child occupant protection was poor, but they still fared better than adults, receiving a two-star rating.
‘It is very disappointing that Maruti Suzuki, the manufacturer with the largest share of the Indian market, offers such low safety performance for Indian consumers’, Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Global NCAP said.
‘Domestic manufacturers like Mahindra and Tata have demonstrated high levels of safety and protection for their customers, both achieving five star performance. Surely it’s time for Maruti Suzuki to demonstrate this commitment to safety for its customers?’
Keyword: Watch the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso’s terrifying no-stars NCAP crash test