Airbags on all Honda cars by April 2017, Renault says Bharat NCAP to be a positive step

Following the latest set of crash test results revealed today by Global NCAP to check out the safety preparedness of the Renault Kwid hatchback and two versions of the Honda Mobilio MPV, Honda Cars India responded by maintaining that safety is the highest priority for the company.

An official spokesperson for Honda Cars India (HCIL) said that the star ratings released by Global NCAP are for the two variants of the Mobilio, including the V grade equipped with dual front airbags and another base variant without airbags. In both the tests, the Mobilio body was found to be stable and survival space for passengers was maintained after collision, with no A-pillar collapse.

“Additionally, the opening and shutting of doors was possible after the collision, which is an important factor in rescue operations. This result was achieved with Honda’s original vehicle body structure, advanced compatibility engineering (ACE) body, which is applied to all Honda models across the world and takes care of the most inherent safety requirement of our cars,” claimed the official. 

HCIL says that all its vehicles produced in India meet or exceed the safety standards set by the Indian regulatory authorities. Safety features like airbags are applied as per regulations and market preferences, which are a function of driving conditions and driving habits. “As per the dynamics of the changes in the market requirements, we appropriately respond to customer interests and needs. Accordingly, we have already announced our safety direction in India and all Honda vehicles in our line-up will be equipped with dual SRS airbags as standard by April 2017.”

Meanwhile, the standard version of the Renault Kwid that comes without airbags was tested by Global NCAP in May 2016. The basic version of the car scored zero stars for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection. Following Renault’s latest set of improvements, the Kwid was assessed again in the frontal impact test and found to still offer just one star for adult occupant protection. The latest version and the most highly equipped safety levels, includes an airbag only for the driver and a seatbelt pretensioner for the driver’s seat.

Renault India's response

A statement from Renault India to the latest Kwid test said: “Safety is of paramount importance for Renault and all our products meet and exceed the requisite safety standards set by Indian regulatory authorities. India is gradually moving towards international safety norms by including more robust safety regulations and the assurance of the Bharat NCAP is a positive step in this direction. As a customer-focused company, Renault fully supports this initiative and we are already future-ready in terms of technology, design and engineering for enhanced safety for all our vehicles. The Indian government has announced that the crash test regulation for the existing cars will come into effect in 2019 and for the new cars in 2017. Renault fully supports this.”