Global NCAP asks Nissan to withdraw Datsun GO from India

Earlier this week, we had reported that the Datsun GO scored zero stars in the crash tests conducted by Global NCAP. The car lacked safety features such as airbags and ABS, which are mandatory for a car to be eligible for certification. What was even more worrying was the structural integrity of the car. The GO's structure disintegrated severely on impact and the crash test dummies of the driver and passenger suffered fatal injuries to their heads, legs and torsos. Global NCAP declared that the structure was so weak that even fitting airbags would be of no use.

Max Mosley, chairman of Global NCAP has written to Carlos Ghosn, the chairman and CEO of Nissan, asking for a withdrawal of the GO from India and other markets. Mosley has stated that the way the car has been engineered presently, it is certain to fail the United Nation’s frontal impact regulation. He has urged the company to redesign the car's body shell.

The Datsun GO scored zero stars for adult occupant protection and just two stars for child occupant protection. However, Nissan India had stated that the Datsun GO meets the required local vehicle regulations in India and was developed to suit the local conditions. The company had also said that it was willing to adopt and evolve in vehicular safety standards as a global manufacturer.