Maruti Suzuki recently sent the Baleno, Brezza and Grand Vitara to the Bharat NCAP for a crash test. Bharat NCAP is the indigenous agency based on the Global NCAP which tests the build quality and safety equipment of vehicles to award safety ratings. Going forward, Indian cars will only be tested by this agency. These three products from Maruti Suzuki are among the top-selling cars in their respective segments. Hence, their safety ratings will be crucial to elevate their appeal. Let us take a look at the details of why these could score decent safety ratings.
You may also like: Man Drives Maruti Alto Using Feet From Passenger Seat, NABBED
Maruti Baleno, Brezza, Grand Vitara at Bharat NCAP
Standard Safety
As is the case with almost all vehicles in the market, the new models offer much more standard safety features. In the last few years, customers have become much more conscious about the safety ratings of cars. As a result, it influences their decision to purchase a particular vehicle. Over time, Maruti Suzuki, much like many other carmakers, has worked really hard to make their vehicles much safer. The addition of many modern safety amenities like 6 airbags, ISOFIX child seat mounts, 360-degree camera, TPMS, 3-Point Seatbelts, Head-up Display etc. ensures that the passengers get the highest passive safety prowess. Overall, the level of such amenities across the range has gone up significantly.
You may also like: Maruti Jimny Replaces Gypsy as Jungle Safari Vehicle
Brand Image
Whether we like it or not, the brand image of Maruti Suzuki suffered greatly after many of its immensely popular vehicles scored poor safety ratings at the Global NCAP. In fact, many potential buyers shifted to other car brands just for this reason alone. It is understandable that buyers want the best safety capabilities when they are buying cars for family use. There is little room for compromise. Maruti desperately wants to change this image going forward. The best way to do it is by making cars which score high safety ratings. That is a motivation for these products to score highly.
You may also like: 14 Maruti Fronx SUVs Sold Every Hour; 1 lakh Sales in 10 Months!
High Strength Steel
We have seen that Maruti Suzuki has been advertising the use of high-strength steel on its modern cars. This is true for the new Baleno, Grand Vitara and Brezza. The use of such materials at critical joints in the body of a vehicle ensures a rugged structure and better load transfer during an impact. In essence, the side pillars and body absorb a huge chunk of impact due to collision and prevent the passengers inside the cabin. The largest carmaker in the country has been able to equip its new-age cars with such components to make them stronger.
You may also like: Maruti Ignis Flips Over in First Reported Accident on Atal Setu (MTHL)
HEARTECT Platform
These vehicles use the HEARTECT platform as the foundation. While designing this platform, Maruti Suzuki confirmed the use of effective crumple zones, safe zones, UHSS (Ultra High Strength Steel), etc. making the platform lighter and more rigid. The reduction in weight and a lower carbon footprint are the two most noticeable advantages of using this architecture. With this, Maruti ensures that its products offer great performance and low mileage in addition to enhanced safety.
You may also like: New-Gen Maruti Swift Seen in Japan Ahead of India Launch
Brezza Already Had 4-Star Safety
While most Maruti cars have severely underperformed at the Global NCAP testing in the past, there is one product which shined. The Brezza compact SUV was already a 4-star safety-rated vehicle at the Global NCAP back in 2018. Therefore, it is not like Maruti doesn’t know how to build tough cars. It has done it in the past. Today, with the immense pressure from all other carmakers, they are bound to act as well. The current-gen Brezza is also based on the same platform. With a few new safety features and minor tweaks to the build, it is possible that it can better its score with a full 5-star rating.
You may also like: Maruti Grand Vitara to Spawn a 7-Seater Tata Safari Rival
You may also like: Hyundai Creta Facelift vs Maruti Grand Vitara – Which One to Buy?
Author’s Note
The safety ratings of prominent and successful Maruti cars have been abysmal in the past. To get rid of this image of being a carmaker which makes flimsy vehicles, the Japanese auto giant is eager to act. In today’s day and age, carmakers take into consideration the safety rating of a car before deciding on a particular vehicle. In all honesty, carmakers like Tata Motors and Mahindra have set the expectations of Indian customers very high. Tata Motors offer impressive build quality on all its products irrespective of which segment they belong to. Hence, it is crucial for Maruti to also replicate it. Let us wait to witness what the report card of the Maruti Baleno, Brezza and Grand Vitara reads after the Bharat NCAP tests.
