[Dose]

In the 50 years since US insurers organized the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, car crashworthiness has improved. Demonstrating this was a crash test conducted on Sept. 9 between a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air and a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. In a real-world collision similar to this test, occupants of the new model would fare much better than in the vintage Chevy:

IIHS Crash test article, additional pictures and video

YouTube - IIHS 50th Anniversary Crash Test

[patil]

in my opinion the i20 asta o either petrol or diesel is the safest available car below 10 lacs in india at present. the features of the car such as six airbags abs ebd etc speak for themselves and moreover the car has been rated with 5 stars by euro ncap for passenger, pedestrian and child safety. if any one knows better safe cars in the said price bracket please suggest.

[A350XWB]

I think as of today, the i20 Asta(O) offers the best safety features within the 10L range. It has a 5* rating in EuroNCAP (new rating system) and actually offers the same car here in India unlike other manufacturers. No other car in this price range offers side and curtain airbags in India. So, it has to the i20.

[anuprav]

i20 Asta (O) is the safest car.

Fabia is also strong built car but with only two airbags

[Dose]

To be eligible for the IIHS 2010 Top Safety Pick award, vehicles must now undergo a roof strength/rollover test. Imho, this is good news and I hope the Euroncap follows the IIHS' example.

The USA 2010 C-class gets a knee airbag and a rollover sensor. As a result, the C-class is now the safest car in its segment according to the IIHS. Unfortunately, the India version does not get the same features despite Indians paying more.

And Toyota's safety seems to be slipping. Ford is now the IIHS safety leader.

Sources:
IIHS vehicle ratings
IIHS-HLDI: Mercedes C class
Toyota fails to land 'top safety pick' rating in insurance-group study

[viper_711]

Originally Posted by Dose

If you hit, at 55 Kmph, another Safari with your Safari, there is no weight advantage, but plenty of disadvantages and unknown factors since Tata vehicles have not been subjected to Euroncap, IIHS, safercar.gov, and other public, reputable type of tests. If you hit another City with your City, again no weight advantage but at least the City is based on the Fit/Jazz platform which has been crash tested and has been shown to yield better results than some other cars.

.

Maybe slightly OT here but do check this link: Tata Safari - Safari DICOR
Check the section under 'crash worthiness'

[Dose]

Originally Posted by viper_711

Maybe slightly OT here but do check this link: Tata Safari - Safari DICOR
Check the section under 'crash worthiness'

Definitely on topic for this thread. Thanks for the link, viper_711.

This is the year 2009 not 1974. Directive 74/297/EEC seems to be something about "interior fittings of motor vehicles (the behaviour of the steering mechanism in the event of an impact.)" It was adopted by some council in 1974 which is ancient by today's safety technology.

Imho, it is a weak attempt by Tata marketing to convince Indians that the Safari is safe. Anyone who bothers to check should be disgusted that a 2009 Safari's safety is measured by 1974 standards. And if Tata has the money to buy Jag, and Ratan is supposed to be so great, why can't they/he produce at least one vehicle that is able to go toe-to-toe with the safest vehicles tested by Euroncap and IIHS? In stark contrast, a company like Hyundai was nothing special years ago. But today, they make a very safe car like the fantastic i20 Asta-O and they are making it in India and selling it in India. Three cheers for Hyundai!

Sources:
Directive 74/297/EEC - Automotive - Enterprise and Industry

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 74/297/EEC

[Fornax]

Are Indian highways really designed for even 80+ kmpH? I've rarely seen a banked corner on the Mumbai-Nasik-Dhule road and it has been laid in 2009. Hence, would the ratings from a developed country even begin to apply to India?

Anyway, apart from the obvious safety factors discussed so far, I feel the safety of Indian roads is also contributed by:

% Customization: Safety is relative to the conditions in which a vehicle is operated. Various external factors such as road conditions, traffic rules and driving culture (or its absence %) play an extremely important role. A car designed with 160 GC is almost inviting itself to be crash-tested given the surprise craters on our highways. (Examples: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...tml#post281778 | http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...tml#post186817). Similiarly, cars with "too-complex" parts that fail (due to rust / moisture) under tropical rainy seasons would also rate lowly - dont have specific example to cite.

Service & Spares: Pre-emptive safety is by-far more important than crash-safety itself. Here quality, availability and affordability of service plays a critical role. ABS / EBD / Airbags / Brakes are fairly complex systems which require prompt maintainence. Hence, the safety rating is no good, if the parts responsible for those ratings are gonna be available only after your next trip.

Personally, I would rank the following sedans - all below 100K - in this order:
1. SX4
2. DZire
3. Fiat Linea (Probably higher for its power/weight ratio)
4. Indigo Manza Aura+ (Its' an icon of Indian customization, with modern safety features)

The following are an absolute no for me:
1. ANHC - Would seriously question myself before taking her on an unknown highway.
2. Verna - Safety?

I am really not well-versed with the following cars/manufacturers:
1. Fiesta / Ford
2. Aveo, Optra / GM

[indianchiefrsd]

Much has changed in the Indian car market since this thread started in 2008.

A lot of new cars supporting Air bags and ABS, but in the opinion on One Jeremy Clarkson the in India its about the might of the car.

So obviously one of the SUV's/MUV's from today would be a good Idea.

Xylo - Top end E8 is some 9 odd lakhs
Scorpio - top end have airbags is a little over 10L
Innova - again top end has airbags but way over 10L
Safari - Also have airbags but over 10

If one budget has gone up by the end of 2009 then the above options seem to do well both in size and safety.

Is there something like a Euro ENCAP in India for Indian cars.

[okvinu]

Disclaimer: Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) is an agency which tests the safety aspects of European model cars. This models may be different in safety features than the one we could buy in the Indian market. So please do not consider this result as the best. They have announced the crash test results of 33 cars in which a few models are available in the Indian market which I will compare here. I have included the yet to be 'launched' Mitsubishi lancer and Skoda Yeti. Some models tested were released earlier than 2009.

Please see the Note at the end on 'comparable cars'.

There are still more models in the Indian market which already got 5star NCAP rating, but with their previous system of rating!

Mods, please move this to respective forums if not suitable in the current one. Thank you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

For more details please see the link,
Euro NCAP - For safer cars | Euro NCAP's top five achievers of 2009

VW Golf (gen VI) again reached the top as the safest car! Happy news for Hyundai i20 owners that this model got the 4th place (top if we consider only the models available in India) in the crash test results with the revised system. Again this is considering cars of similar mass.

Suzuki Alto (A star- as discussed by 'sidindica' in another post) is in the last (Chevrolet Spark aka Beat '4 stars' being close but better) position with 3 stars.

Note: Comparable cars - Euro NCAP’s frontal impact test simulates a car crashing into another of similar mass and structure. In real life, when two cars collide the vehicle with the higher mass has an advantage over the lighter one. Generally speaking, vehicles with higher structures tend to fare better in accidents than those with lower structures. Therefore, ratings are comparable only between cars of similar mass and with broadly similar structures. Euro NCAP groups cars into the following structural categories: passenger car, MPV, off-roader, roadster and pickup. Within each of those categories, cars which are within 150kg of one another are considered comparable. (Source: Euro NCAP website)


enjoy!

[Dose]

Originally Posted by okvinu

Mods, please move this to respective forums if not suitable in the current one. Thank you.

Moderators, please move this post to the following thread where we discuss NCAP and IIHS results in addition to other safety features:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-c...eatures-6.html

okvinu, thanks for your post. It's amazing that the Golf achieved 97% on the adult score.

[k!ng_@thur]

Originally Posted by Dose

joecherian, let us forget about vehicle damage. Passenger injury is far more important, imho. Unless you can see the future, you have no idea if you will be involved in a head-on crash or not, and if it will be a single or multiple vehicle crash, and if, in the case of a multiple vehicle crash, that oncoming vehicle will weigh more, less or the same as your vehicle. In a single or multiple vehicle crash, you have no idea if you will also rollover, hit a wall, tree or concrete pole either in a front, side or rear impact.

Which is why it is wiser, imho, to buy the car with the highest overall active and passive safety and that the benefits of all those safety features are confirmed by independent crash testing. There is only one vehicle below 10 lakhs that meets all the criteria currently -- the i20 Asta-O.

Buying the heavier vehicle does not guarantee less damage to oneself and one's passengers. Unless the heavier vehicle has been engineered correctly, please remember that the weight can be used against you if you are ever involved in a single vehicle crash like a rollover. Even if you buy a heavier vehicle, there is always going to be someone who has either a heavier or lighter vehicle than you.

To answer your question, if you are lucky enough to weigh twice as much as the oncoming vehicle and you and your passengers are wearing seatbelts, you have the higher probability of sustaining less injuries compared to the lighter vehicle and its occupants. So, if you are driving a Safari which hits a City in a head-on, offset, manner, since the Safari weighs almost twice as much, you will probably get away with less injuries provided everyone wears seatbelts. And if you are unlucky enough to hit a vehicle that weighs twice as much as your Safari, you have the higher probability of sustaining more injuries compared to the heavier vehicle and its occupants provided all are wearing seatbelts.

If you hit, at 55 Kmph, another Safari with your Safari, there is no weight advantage, but plenty of disadvantages and unknown factors since Tata vehicles have not been subjected to Euroncap, IIHS, safercar.gov, and other public, reputable type of tests. If you hit another City with your City, again no weight advantage but at least the City is based on the Fit/Jazz platform which has been crash tested and has been shown to yield better results than some other cars.

Now add to this calculation that the Safari, like most non-safety oriented SUV's, probably does not have a roof that can support its own weight as well as most cars can during a rollover. Therefore, in a rollover, the City has a higher chance of not breaking the belted passengers' necks and backs compared to the Safari.

Buy the vehicle with the best overall safety within your budget and hope that you hit a vehicle in the same weight and height category if you are ever involved in a head-on accident.

Between the City, i20 Asta-O and Safari, I recommend the i20 Asta-O first, the latest City second, and the Safari last.

IMHO safety means the ability to go places without fear, everyday. In that sense, would like to state the below:

1. GC allows me to go most places
2. Good suspension allows me to go over potholes without damaging my back everyday
3. Good seating ensures that I dont get a backache
4. Thich metal sheet ensures most minor hits (rickshaws, sudden breaking by the car in front, driver ahead rolling back in a bridge, etc) do not affect me
5. In case of any issues, ability to get help to get back on the road

By these benchmarks, I would anyday look at a TATA only. Would choose the vehicle depending on need. But pls do not drive these vehicles too fast...

[tectrac]

Originally Posted by A350XWB

I think as of today, the i20 Asta(O) offers the best safety features within the 10L range. It has a 5* rating in EuroNCAP (new rating system) and actually offers the same car here in India unlike other manufacturers. No other car in this price range offers side and curtain airbags in India. So, it has to the i20.

I hate to spoil the party but the 5th star is for ESP which even the highest variant does not have unlike the export models which do have it as the pic below shows.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attach...-untitled6.jpg
Euro NCAP - For safer cars | Safety assist

That 5stars sticker is to fool idiot Indian buyers other than a few of us motor-heads.
Let me tell you the ABS on my swift is streets ahead in feel, progressiveness and bite. The Magna is what I have test driven so far maybe the top end Asta with 4 discs would be better.

Yes the i20 diesel engine is a gem beyond compare, and may make me buy one only after I check the braking with ABS on the Asta(o).

[A350XWB]

Originally Posted by tectrac

That 5stars sticker is to fool idiot Indian buyers other than a few of us motor-heads.

Each star is not given to a particular feature! But I understand what you mean. The question was which car offers the maximum safety features within the 100K margin. And in this range, there is no car in India which offers the safety features of the i20. That was my point. Even the higher priced ANHC or Jazz doesn't even provide a 3-point seat belt at the rear middle seat, let alone other things.
And I think i20 is the one which is closest to the car that under went the NCAP testing, which we can actually buy in India. (I took Honda Jazz for comparison, because they are in the same category in EuroNCAP). The stripping down Honda has done on the Jazz is much more than what Hyundai has done on the i20, in India.

[tectrac]

A350XWB, Sorry but I did not mean anything other than the ride we are being taken for. Your point about the Jazz is absolutely right(not even climate control) we are being gypped.
The i20 has great torque which would be very dangerous on any damp road without ESP. I am keen on buying one but would be like to be caught out. Only option is to throw out the OE tyres and put some good rubber.
Have you guys seen this and the link on it, it leads to something called HIGHBHP.com!
No thank you, I am very happy where I am!!!