We will be volunteering to get our cars crash tested: Maruti on Bharat NCAP

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari launched India's own crash test norms on Tuesday. It is called Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) and it will be enforced across the country from October 2023. Now, Maruti Suzuki has announced that they will send out their vehicles to be tested under the Bharat NCAP crash test.

This information was confirmed by CV Raman, CTO, Maruti Suzuki India. Moreover, Mr Rahul Bharti, Executive Officer of Maruti Suzuki also said that they will offer at least three models for Bharat NCAP crash testing in the first batch. As of now, the name of the models has not been confirmed. However, it can be the manufacturer's recent launches such as Grand Vitara and new-gen Baleno.

The past record of Maruti Suzuki is not very strong when it comes to crash test ratings. The S-Presso, Alto and Eeco have scored zero stars in the adult safety rating and two stars in the child safety rating. The WagonR and Swift scored two stars in adult as well as child safety rating whereas the Ertiga scored three stars. The safest car that the Maruti Suzuki currently makes is the Brezza with four and two stars for adult and child safety ratings respectively.

According to CV Raman, CTO, Maruti Suzuki India, "It is a welcome step and we are proud as we had been working along with the government and test agencies in the discussions around formulation of the standards. We will be volunteering to get our cars tested under the BNCAP standards, which are same as the revised GNCAP protocols.

“Any car that is launched in India follows the mandatory safety standards set by the government. For consumers seeking extra safety information the Bharat NCAP system is an authentic and objective rating system to empower the customer to make an informed choice. Maruti Suzuki welcomes this initiative of the Government and will offer atleast 3 models for BNCAP testing in the first lot itself. At the same time, we would request all users to fasten seatbelts whether in the front or rear seats as that is the most critical factor in keeping passengers safe." said Mr Rahul Bharti, Executive Officer, Maruti Suzuki