Watch A Bunch Of Indian Market Cars Fold Like Paper In Crash Tests
These cars have three things in common: all are made for the Indian market, all were deemed to have ‘unstable’ body structures, and all were given zero stars in recent Global NCAP tests. It’s clear that while much of the world takes the safety of new cars for granted, you’re much less fortunate if you’re buying a car in a developing market.
As well as the shoddy bodyshells, these cars also have a complete lack of safety features. Only one - the Renault Kwid - was fitted with an airbag, and none of the cars even have seatbelt pre-tensioners.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Indian market cars spectacularly fail a Global NCAP test - a couple of years ago we were looking at another motley crew of budget cars that had scored 0 points. These tests don’t appear to show that much progress has happened in that time, and remember, these are big, global car companies that are more than capable of making cars for other markets that are perfectly safe.
Commenting on the lack of airbags in certain Kwid models, Global NCAP secretary general David Ward said:
“It is very surprising that a manufacturer like Renault introduced the Kwid initially lacking this essential feature [an airbag]. Global NCAP strongly believes that no manufacturer anywhere in the world should be developing new models that are so clearly sub-standard. Car makers must ensure that their new models pass the UN’s minimum crash test regulations, and support use of an airbag.”
The silver lining is that the Indian government will introduce mandatory crash tests for all new cars in late 2017, which should put a stop to manufacturers flogging such woefully inadequate cars in the country.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
As an Indian. I am not at all surprised by this result.
I think I know what the car companies are doing. India isnt exactly a very rich country. All these safety features cost alot to make. If the implement all these safety features it will cost too much and people wont buy their cars in India.
Is it only me, but these videos are so satisfying to watch :D
Pennies acquired!
Two things surprise me, de diference in body deformation between the two Renault Kwids, and the fact that Renault makes a car without airbags, and this rubbish, when on their ads they are always talking about safety as one of their strong points, and they go and sell that thing, which, bu the way, looks an awful lot like a Dacia Sandero, a four star car, so the technology was there.
Aren’t the tests supposed to be at 40ish kmph?
*40 mph, roughly 64 kmph but in Bangalore we can’t cross 45 kmph
Being an Indian myself and an automotive journalist, i know what goes on here. Its the monopoly of the volume car manufacturers… who i will not name.
Even if the crash tests will come into play, they will find a loop hole, or create one just to sell all these crappy cars to us ignorant consumers of India.
Not only India, im in Argentina and we have some crappy cars in here too, like the chevrolet corsa B, renault clio “mio” wich is a facelift from the renault clio phase 2 and some other cars too
That renault kwid will be made in brazil for the latin market, lets see what happens when they test it at latin n cap.
Customers frquently complaint about noise during hard braking in abs models…and its hard to make them understand technically..but we try..very few know about it and from those only 40% are ready to spend.
OMG just OMG