All-New Mahindra Thar receives GNCAP 4-star safety rating

The all-new Mahindra Thar has got a 4-star safety rating from Global NCAP.  Global NCAP, a major programme of the Towards Zero Foundation, a UK based charity working internationally in support of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, has awarded the 4-Star safety rating to the all-new Mahindra Thar. The official Global NCAP test for the All-New Thar was conducted in Germany recently. 

This is in stark contrast to some other Indian vehicles that performed badly in similar crash tests conducted by Global NCAP more than a week back. The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso achieved zero stars for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection. Hyundai’s Grand i10 Nios achieved two stars for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection. The Kia Seltos achieved three stars for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection.

Coming to the Thar, the vehicle achieved four star rating for both adult and child occupants in the new round of #SaferCarsForIndia crash tests. The recently launched Mahindra Thar was tested in its basic safety specification, two airbags, and reached 4 stars for adult and child occupants. The Thar also meets the side impact UN 95 regulation.

Global NCAP also tested Thar’s Electronic Stability Control according to UN regulation. ESC is not fitted as standard on the Thar and although the model met minimum regulatory requirements, the car showed an unstable dynamic behaviour. Global NCAP recommends a review and improvement.

Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Global NCAP said, “Mahindra’s commitment to safer cars is once again displayed for consumers and shows that it is possible to offer good safety performance in the Indian market. It is encouraging to see manufacturers that also offer high levels of protection for children traveling in their vehicles. The Thar demonstrates the capacity of Mahindra to improve its fleet safety.”

In a press statement, David Ward, President of the Towards Zero Foundation said, “Another good result for Mahindra which shows the manufacturer’s commitment to safety. It is very satisfying to see this growing vehicle safety trend in the Indian car market, which combines minimum regulatory requirements with the purchasing power of #SaferCarsforIndia informed consumers, helping to drive demand for ever safer vehicles.”

The Thar offers double frontal airbags as standard. Driver and passenger’s head and neck showed good protection. Driver’s chest offered adequate protection and passenger chest showed good protection. The structure was rated as stable but the footwell area was rated as unstable, not being capable of withstanding further loadings. Both adult knee areas were optimizsd to reduce significant injuries. Both child occupants received almost full protection during the test. The Thar offers standard ISOFIX anchorages and top tether together with 3 point belts for all seating positions.

Velusamy R, Chief of Global Product Development, Automotive Division, M&M Ltd., said, “This is a proud moment for Mahindra as the 4-star rating for the All-New Thar reiterates our unstinted commitment towards safety. It has achieved a robust GNCAP 4-Star rating, which is a first in its segment with highest points in child safety amongst all cars tested by Global NCAP so far.”

Several Mahindra vehicles have done well in these Global NCAP crash tests. The XUV300 established a new benchmark in terms of vehicle safety in India having been awarded a 5-star rating by Global NCAP and topped Global NCAP’s six-year safety rankings, making the XUV300 the safest among all the vehicles tested by Global NCAP between 2014 and 2020. The Marazzo was also certified with a strong 4 star rating by Global NCAP for Adult Occupation Protection. In fact, Mahindra was the first and only manufacturer in India to be awarded the “Safer Choice Award” by GNCAP.

MARUTI SUZUKI S-PRESS IS A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT

In similar tests carried out by GNCAP earlier, the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso achieved a disappointing zero star rating. The three models rated in the latest phase of testing were the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso, Hyundai Grand i10 Nios and Kia Seltos. Global NCAP chose the entry-level version of each model. The S-Presso was only fitted with a driver airbag as standard, while the other models offered both driver and passenger airbags as standard.

The range of results, from zero to three stars, highlights significant differences in adult occupant protection even in cars that meet minimum regulatory standards.

For the #SaferCarsForIndia project, Global NCAP currently only tests frontal crash protection for occupants and not side impact and pedestrian protection. These very relevant safety scenarios will form part of the future evolution of Global NCAP’s crash test protocols in India.

Alejandro Furas said, “It is very disappointing that Maruti Suzuki, the manufacturer with the largest share of the Indian market, offers such low safety performance for Indian consumers. Domestic manufacturers like Mahindra and Tata have demonstrated high levels of safety and protection for their customers, both achieving five-star performance. Surely it’s time for Maruti Suzuki to demonstrate this commitment to safety for its customers?”

David Ward said, “We have seen important progress on car safety in India, with new legislation introduced by the government and manufacturers like Mahindra and Tata accepting the Global NCAP five star challenge and producing models which go well beyond minimum regulatory requirements. There is no place for zero rated cars in the Indian market. It remains a great disappointment that an important manufacturer like Maruti Suzuki does not recognise this.”