At the latest round of Global NCAP crash tests, Maruti Suzuki’s latest generation Swift was evaluated under #SaferCarsForIndia campaign and for many the result came as a shocker. With just two stars, the Swift did create quite a stir as the Euro-spec version tested last year received three-star rating and it was equipped with side and curtain airbags as well as autonomous emergency braking function.
The international safety campaigning organisation took the previous generation Swift for testing back in 2014 and it ended up with a disappointing zero star rating due to the absence of airbags and ISOFIX anchorages. While Global NCAP appreciated Maruti Suzuki’s efforts in improving safety in the latest version of Swift, they predicted room for further improvement.
Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) has recently updated the Swift’s crash test report and in the list of safety equipment onboard the four channel ABS system is given ‘YES’ instead of being absent in the original report. However, its impact on the final outcome of the report has not been affected as Swift continues to be rated at two stars.
The poor performance in frontal crash test is due to the lack of safety features such as side body and curtain airbags and ESC that are standard in Europe. Global NCAP explained that driver and passenger head as well as neck protection were good and the chest protection was adequate. The bodyshell was rated unstable as it could not withstand further loadings.
Despite offering seat belt reminder as standard, it was said not to meet minimum requirements. Akin to Adult Occupant protection, the Child Occupant class had also registered just two stars. The child seat installed with ISOFIX and top tether for 3-year-old offered good protection and prevented excessive forward movement but it was only marginal for the chest.
For the 18-month-old, the protection was poor for the head and chest with loss of head points. The Swift is based on the same Heartect platform as Baleno while the Global C platform based Vitara Brezza received a highly appreciable four-star rating recently from GNCAP recently.
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