Provision for installing a tow bar hook on cars in India

I would like to attach a tow-bar hook to my Maruti Brezza. Its owner's manual indicates the weight I can tow but does not provide any instructions on the attachment points for the tow bar.

BHPian kothamasi recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My query is why do car manufacturers discourage attaching a tow bar hook to car models in India? For instance, while tow bar hooks with detailed drawings are available for a Swift or Jimny in the UK, the same are not available in India.

Does anyone know of after-market suppliers who are engaged in this? I would like to attach a tow-bar hook to my Brezza. The Brezza manual indicates the weight I can tow but does not provide any instructions on the attachment points for the tow bar. I could get the tow-bar hook of a similarly sized Vitara from the UK, but without detailed drawings, I won't be able to fix it.

Any tips would be welcomed and appreciated.

Here's what BHPian Tejas@perioimpl had to say about the matter:

Unfortunately, the laws on towing are unclear in this country and/or the enforcers are unaware and interpret them as per their whims.

Secondly, we still don't have a culture of towing stuff so the domestic market doesn't put in an effort to get these made.

I'd suggest you contact Vijay Kumar from Swastik Fabs. He will be your best bet to fabricate one for you.

I doubt the Vitara one would be a direct fit for the Brezza.

Here's what BHPian Jeroen had to say about the matter:

I really can’t comment on the tow hook in India. But a few things about how it works in other countries. In general, the manufacturer needs to provide the required anchor points on the car, at the factory.

Here in Europe as part of their roadworthy test, towing weights for trailers (with and without brakes) are also tested. In most countries, both these towing weights are also mentioned on the original registration papers.

The maximum permissible towing weight varies per country, due to different legislation. E.g. my Jeep Cherokee is allowed to tow much heavier trailers in the USA compared to here in the Netherlands.

Lastly, there are differences between countries when it comes to insuring a car / trailer combination. In some it is just part of your normal car insurance, be it 3rd party or fully comprehensive. In some countries, you need special insurance to pull a trailer with your car.

So, difficult as it might be, it might be worthwhile checking the formalities in India before attaching a hook to your car. And unless your car has the anchor points provided by the manufacturer I would never attach a hook by just drilling and welling into a car chassis. Impossible to tell what that means.

What towing weight is permissible is, as I mentioned, a bit of black magic. Identical cars in different countries might have considerably different towing weights specified.

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