5 Indian cars that have a “weak/unstable body structure” according to Global NCAP

Snapshot– Passenger safety testing organizations such as the Global NCAP and Latin NCAP have safety tested a bunch of Indian cars that are built in India are sold in many parts of the world. The organizations have reported that 6 cars have exhibited “weak/unstable” body structures, making them riskier for passengers in the event of a crash. CarToq puts together the list of five cars that are said to have weak body structures, and that have scored very poor ratings of zero stars in the NCAP safety tests. However, it must be noted that all these cars in the list have met the safety requirements laid down by the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR).

Tata Nano

The Tata Nano is a car that was chiefly designed to make mobility affordable to the masses. The original Nano achieved an ultra frugal price tag of 1 lakh rupees, and is still the world’s least priced car. Safety features such as ABS and Airbags were never meant to be integrated into the Nano’s first few generations given the car’s positioned as a bare bones set of four wheels. So, when Global NCAP returned with a zero star safety rating for the Nano, it wasn’t surprising at all. Here’s a video of the car in action during the Global NCAP safety test.

Maruti Suzuki Alto 800

One of India’s best selling hatchbacks that is also exported to emerging markets of the world, the Maruti Alto 800 is an extremely reliable car that is also affordable. Armed with an 800cc-3 cylinder petrol engine that is very fuel efficient, the budget hatchback offering is lapped up by entry-level hatchback buyers. However, safety isn’t a strong suit of the car, as evidenced by the Global NCAP safety ratings.

Datsun Go

The Datsun Go is a low cost car engineered specifically for emerging markets around the globe. Priced close to the Maruti Alto 800 and the Hyundai Eon, the car offers more performance and space than its competitors. However, the Datsun Go has come under a scathing attack from Global NCAP chairman Max Mosley. The Datsun Go’s body structure has been rated as unstable by the Global NCAP in a recent test.

Hyundai i10

The i10 is a global hatchback that Hyundai builds in India. The car is also one of Hyundai’s most popular hatchback in the Indian market. While the Grand i10’s arrival has made the i10 a much smaller player than it originally was in India, sales of the car are still quite strong and considerable. Safety hasn’t been the Hyundai i10’s forte, what with the car receiving a debilitating zero star score in the Global NCAP test. This rating has done nothing to slow down the car’s sales though.

 

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10

The Alto K10 recently underwent a facelift in India but the pre-facelift version got plenty of draft for being a poor performer in terms of passenger safety. The Alto K10 got a Zero Star rating in the Global NCAP safety test and the car is one of the best sellers for Maruti Suzuki. The Alto K10 features a 1 liter K-Series petrol engine and is now also available with an automated manual transmission.

Maruti Suzuki Swift

The Maruti Suzuki Swift is India’s best selling B+ segment hatchback. A global best seller for Suzuki, the version sold in India has fared very poorly in the Global NCAP safety test, with a zero star rating. Worse still, the structure of the car has been rated to be unstable by the Global NCAP. The car is sold with petrol and diesel engines in India.