Maruti's entry level models could get ABS, EBD

Maruti Suzuki is India’s largest car maker and continues to enjoy a larger market share than its rivals. However, in light of recent events, the company has drawn flak for offering cheaper cars, while compromising on passenger safety. Extensive safety features have largely been restricted to higher variants of car models, but a recent report suggests that Maruti could soon offer more safety tech on its entry level cars as well.

According to the report by Autocar Professional, apart from airbags, the brand could offer features such as an anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake-force distribution (EBD). The report comes in after Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO - Maruti Suzuki, stated that the company is working towards offering the features across the model range. Currently, the Alto consistently features as the top selling car in the country, but neither the Alto 800, nor the K10 offer ABS or EBD, while a driver airbag is offered as an optional extra.

If Maruti does add ABS and EBD at least as an option to the lower models in its range, it will be a welcome move for buyers. A driver airbag certainly adds to safety, but some would argue that given the questionable structural integrity of these cars, ABS and EBD would play an equally, if not more important role in passenger safety.