[ron178]

Originally Posted by saikarthik

I sincerely hope we can make this kind of list.

I wish we could, but it is impossible. You cannot use crash test ratings for a car tested for any other market with certainty, not even by comparing offset test scores. Our best hope for this would be if a Bharat NCAP is ever set up, which should be able to test a lot more cars than Global NCAP does at present, or if Global NCAP gets a lot more funding from another source (unlikely), or if the manufacturers somehow participate in the voluntary program (very unlikely).

Ratings for cars that have not been tested for India can be viewed as international car news but they should definitely not be used for India regardless of the segment or manufacturer or their history. Yes, you can personally make an educated guess but the moment you say it on a public forum you have to take full responsibility for your claim and the last thing we want to do on a forum like this is potentially mislead consumers.

What we could do instead is perform a static evaluation of the safety features offered by different cars beyond mandatory equipment. For example, somewhat like this thread this thread (True 5 seaters: Affordable cars with five 3-point seatbelts & headrests).

We could have a thread that discusses the availability of the following safety equipment and more on different vehicle models (and also whether it is standard, stand-alone optional, or optional but bundled with other features). It could help consumers looking for specific safety features in their next car without having to scout for individual brochures, and it will also help them identify what equipment is missing (a brochure on the other hand will simply avoid mentioning it). Since manufacturers often update safety equipment I think it would also be wise to mention the time of review.

For each model, we could specify the availability of the following (we need to accept all suggestions before starting, we cannot keep changing the criteria because that would be unfair. It would also be best to exclude proprietary safety systems):

• An India-specific NCAP rating if available
• side front torso airbags
• side head airbags (combination or curtain)
• Electronic Stability Control
• 3-point seatbelts in all forward-facing seats
• Head restraints in all forward facing seats
• Seatbelt pretensioners
• ISOFIX anchorages
• i-Size approved ISOFIX anchorages
• Which child restraints the manufacturer recommends for different age groups (if they make a recommendation they usually specify it in the owner's manual)
• Option of disconnecting the front passenger airbag either using a switch or at the dealer level (for those who are forced to install a child restraint on the front passenger seat)
• Forward collision warning
• AEB - car-to-car
• AEB that detects vulnerable road users (pedestrians and cyclists)
• Lane support systems - lane departure warning and lane keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Multi-collision brakes
• Pedestrian protection equipment like pop-up hoods (currently available only on higher-end cars)
• Advanced e-Call
• A front centre airbag
• A driver's knee airbag
• Side rear torso airbags

Just as an example:

Škoda Kushaq - reviewed November 2021

• NCAP rating - not available
• Side front torso airbags - optional, bundled
• Side head airbags - optional, bundled (curtain type)
• Electronic Stability Control - standard
• 3-point seatbelts in all forward-facing seats - standard
• Head restraints in all forward facing seats - standard, adjustable
• Seatbelt pretensioners - standard (front, rear)
• ISOFIX anchorages - standard
• i-Size approved ISOFIX anchorages - yes
• Recommended Child Restraints (ECE R44 weight based classification):
  "Group 0+: Britax-Römer Baby Safe Plus (i-Size)
  Group I: Britax-Römer Duo Plus (Top Tether)
  Group II/III: Britax-Römer Kidfix"
  Seating positions on Page 29 of Owner's Manual
• Option of disconnecting the front passenger airbag - (product brochure and owner's manual have opposing views and I would appreciate it if an owner could help)
• Forward collision warning - NO
• AEB - car-to-car - NO
• AEB that detects vulnerable road users (pedestrians and cyclists) - NO
• Lane support systems - lane departure warning and lane keep assist - NO
• Rear cross-traffic alert - NO
• Multi-collision brakes - standard
• Pop-up hood - NO

Maruti Suzuki Swift - reviewed November 2021

• NCAP rating - Global NCAP (Tested 2018)
  Adult Occupant: 2 stars
  Child Occupant: 2 stars
• Side front torso airbags - NO
• Side head airbags - NO
• Electronic Stability Control - optional, bundled with automated gearbox
• 3-point seatbelts in all forward-facing seats - NO
• Head restraints in all forward facing seats - NO
• ISOFIX anchorages - standard
• i-Size approved ISOFIX anchorages - yes
• Recommended Child Restraints:
  "Maruti Suzuki recommends use of Maruti Suzuki Genuine accessory of “Child seat, ISOFIX”"
  Seating positions on page 2-41 of owner's manual.
• Option of disconnecting the front passenger airbag:
  "Do not install a child restraint system on the front passenger's seat."
• Forward collision warning - NO
• AEB - car-to-car - NO
• AEB that detects vulnerable road users (pedestrians and cyclists) - NO
• Lane support systems - lane departure warning and lane keep assist - NO
• Rear cross-traffic alert - NO
• Multi-collision brakes - NO
• Pop-up hood - NO

[Jhinchak]

It would be interesting to see the top 10 or 20 safest cars in the world and then compare Indian cars to that list to see where it falls or at least to see where we stand in the world.

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by RJM

It is interesting, Volvo supposedly makes the safest cars but still its no where near to the top of the sales charts?? The bottom line is a minimum basic safety requirement needs to be made mandatory so that it will become a level playfield.

Volvo is still a Luxury car maker at the end of the day and don't sell volumes that mainstream car makers do. They obviously pioneered safety out and are always very vocal about safety being the primary parameter. Their hardware and software works seamlessly to deliver that safe cocooned drive experience that is still unmatched by majority of the rivals.

Mechanically sound and well built cars should be the number one criteria that the Govt should impose on all Manufacturers by creating a minimum benchmark to attain. Its a far cry at the moment but the rate at which the Indian Manufacturers are taking this area seriously is commendable and should hopefully trigger a chain reaction

[pqr]

2021 - GNCAP rated product sales in India



Indian – Continuously raising the bar.



Korean – Minting money by deliberately developing low cost BIW (body-in-white) and relatively unsafe cars for India.



Japanese – Focused on minting money with relatively unsafe cars and being totally defiant and arrogant, by not sending cars to GNCAP.



European – 5 star GNCAP rating, can do it, just like in Europe, but won’t do it for India, in order to stay cost competitive.

[RJM]

The point I was trying to make is that logically speaking everyone would want to have the best safety rated cars and for personal safety money should not an objective, isnt it? But talking about VOLVO worldwide people find their cars boring and I m giving you an account of personal interaction I have had with people in Norway, Poland , Sweden etc. This implies that human brain admits safety as paramount but still cuts corners. they rather would buy BMW, Merc , Audi etc which are not that equipped as Volvo in safety department but surely adequately equipped.

The other tangent to this discussion is city driving vs highway driving, especially in India. People buying a car for city usage wherein speed stays within 60-70kph do not really care. The highway commuters seems to be more aware as the safety rings a bell at the back of their mind considering some of the horrible accident scenes they encounter.

It is the same with lane driving, I haven't seen any one following the lanes, that aspect of understanding to seep in especially within the masses will take time and this all is co related. The bench marks have to change for all aspects of driving from road behavior, to driving habits, following traffic rules and so on and the cars and their safety etc..........