1 Star for WagonR, 2 Stars for Alto K10: Maruti Suzuki WagonR, Alto K10 crash tested by G-NCAP

In its first series of crash tests conducted in 2023 under the ‘Safer Cars for India’ initiative, Global NCAP has crash tested a few Indian cars. Among the new batch, the Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 and WagonR were also tested, and the results are now out. While the WagonR scored a 1-star rating, the smaller and more affordable Alto K10 scored a marginally better 2-star rating. According to David Ward, the President of ‘Towards Zero Foundation’, Maruti Suzuki fell short on safety performance for two of its most popular cars in India.

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 – 2 stars

The previous-generation Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 scored 0 stars for adult protection and 2 stars for child occupancy. However, its successor, the Alto K10, has managed to achieve a 2-star safety rating in adult occupancy and a 0-star rating in child occupancy. In adult occupant protection, the new Alto K10 scored 21.67 points out of 34, while it scored just 3.52 points out of 49 in child occupant protection.

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Despite the low scores, the bodyshell of the Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 was rated stable in the crash tests. According to Global NCAP, the Alto K10 offered decent protection to the neck and head of front seat passenger dummies, while the protection for knees and chest was rated poor. The model of the Alto K10 tested by Global NCAP had dual front airbags and ABS, but it missed out on electronic stability control and ISOFIX mounts for child seats.

Maruti Suzuki WagonR – 1 star

Compared to the Alto K10, its roomier sibling, the Maruti Suzuki WagonR, scored an even lower result with a 1-star rating for adult occupancy and a 0-star rating for child occupancy. In the crash tests conducted by Global NCAP, the WagonR scored 19.69 points out of 34 in adult occupancy tests. The version of the WagonR used for the test came equipped with dual front airbags and ABS but missed out on electronic stability control and ISOFIX mounts for child seats.

In the crash tests, the WagonR offered good protection for the neck and adequate protection for the head of the driver. However, the knees and chest of the driver had inadequate protection against the crash. Even the front passenger dummy fared adequately in chest protection and well in head and neck protection. However, unlike the Alto K10, the bodyshell and footwell of the WagonR were rated unstable and were unable to withstand further loadings in the crash tests.