Citroen C3 Aircross rivals the mighty Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara, etc. in our market
The Brazilian-made Citroen C3 Aircross has demonstrated an abysmal performance at the Latin NCAP safety test with a 0-star rating. Note that the Indian model is slightly different. In India, the C3 Aircross comes with much better standard safety equipment. Nevertheless, it is worrying that the Brazilian version faces such an embarrassing score in today’s day and age where consumers have become immensely critical of the safety prowess of their vehicles.
Stellantis India Reacts to Citroen C3 Aircross’ Performance at Latin NCAP
Reacting to the NCAP rating, an official spokesperson for Citroen India has issued a statement:
“At Stellantis, we remain dedicated to offering customers clean, safe, and affordable mobility with products that fulfil the most stringent regulations across the world. we strive to enhance the safety features of each new generation of vehicles. As part of our ongoing product improvement efforts, we consider the new third-party assessments and integrate proven technological solutions into our engineering process where relevant. Stellantis believes there is no single way to measure vehicle safety; third-party assessments are one of many inputs used when designing the safety of our vehicles.
In India, the safety of our customers is at the core of everything we do. Our vehicles come with six airbags, ISOFIX, and a rear seatbelt reminder across the entire lineup. The newly launched Citroën Basalt, with its 4-star Bharat NCAP rating, exemplifies this commitment to safety, innovation, and engineering excellence. We take pride in delivering vehicles that combine safety, performance, and advanced features, tailored for Indian consumers. Every vehicle we develop in India reflects our deep understanding of local needs and aspirations, designed independently to meet the country’s unique regulations and priorities.”
Citroen C3 Aircross at Latin NCAP
Note that the SUV possessed 2 airbags as standard along with a seat belt pretensioner for the front seats, seat belt loadlimiter for the front seats, ISOFIX child seat mounts for the rear seats, seat belt reminder for the driver, Electronic Stability Control and GTR 9 – UN 127 Pedestrian protection. The scores are a disappointing 33% in Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), 11% in Child Occupant Protection (COP), 50% in Pedestrian and Vulnerable Road Users Protection and 35% in Safety Assist Systems. All this amounts to a 0-star rating.
AOP and COP Details
Within the AOP section, the Citroen C3 underwent the Frontal Offset Deformable Barrier test, Whiplash Rear Impact test and Side Movable Deformable Barrier test. Due to the lack of adequate safety equipment, the Side Pole Impact test was not performed. The bodyshell was rated as stable and it is capable of withstanding further loadings. Also, the footwell area was rated stable. In the COP category, it scored a Dynamic Score of 0 out of 24, a CRS Installation Score of 3.57 out of 12 and a Vehicle Assessment Score of 2 out of 13. The child seat for a 3-year-old was installed rearward facing, and it was the same layout for the 18-month-old child dummy too. The former was capable of preventing head exposure and offered good protection, while the latter prevented the head exposure offering almost full protection showing slightly higher chest deceleration.
Pedestrian and Safety Assist Systems
In the Pedestrian and Vulnerable Road Users Protection segment, the Citroen C3 Aircross scored 23.79 points which is around 50%. This includes a score of 13.68 points out of 24 on the Head Impact test, 4.12 points out of 6 on the Upper Leg Impact (Pelvis) test and 6 points out of 6 in the Lower Leg Impact (Leg) test. The car proved to meet Pedestrian protection UN127 regulations and showed a majority of head impact areas with marginal and adequate protection. However, some areas towards the windshield and A-pillar showed weak and poor protection. Upper leg performance was weak in the borders and good in a small portion in the centre and lower leg performance showed good protection.
Finally, in the Safety Assist Systems category, the mid-size SUV scored 15 points which amounts to 35%. Interestingly, this score was due to the Electronic Stability Program feature alone. For a higher score, the Seat Belt Reminder and Speed Assistance sections are needed to be standard across the range. The maximum speed achieved on this test without failures was 85 km/h for the ADAC moose test. All these factors combined for a shocking 0-star safety rating at the Latin NCAP. Still, the Indian model might bear a different result at the Global NCAP due to different protocols and equipment.
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Also Read: Rs 11.61 Lakh Citroen C3 Aircross Available at a Huge Discount of Rs 2.62 Lakh
