HomeCar NewsHow Suzuki prepares its products for NCAP crash test - Video

How Suzuki prepares its products for NCAP crash test – Video

The Euro-spec Suzuki Swift in the video scored 3 stars in Euro NCAP crash tests

Suzuki Motor Corporation has shared a video showcasing how it prepares a product for various crash or safety tests, popularly conducted by NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme). Today, NCAP safety ratings have become more of a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) in modern cars, especially in the affordable segment.

Passenger and pedestrian safety are crucial factors in determining the quality of a new product. Due to budget constraints, reduced prioritisation by target customers and sometimes due to ignorant business strategies, vehicle safety often becomes a secondary concern among manufacturers. In India, this scenario is witnessing a much-deserved change thanks to brands such as Tata Motors and Mahindra.

During a product’s development phase, OEMs conduct internal safety assessments before approaching a formal organisation such as the regional NCAP. The video below shows how Suzuki Motor Corporation readies a Swift hatchback for a Frontal Impact Test.

Frontal Impact Test is just one of many crash categories coming under NCAP. Since the car seen in the video is a Euro-spec Suzuki Swift, one can assume that it is being prepared for Euro NCAP. The organisation conducts tests under the categories, Full Frontal (showcased), Front Offset, Side Impact and Side Pole. Global NCAP results are mostly based on Front Offset tests.

The video also shows how the engineers at Suzuki Motor Corporation inspect the tested units and its dummy passengers in various stages. Parameters taken into account include airbag deployment, condition of dummies, interior damages and more. Apparently, the Japanese brand’s safety analysis facility conducts crash tests on a daily basis.

In Euro NCAP, the third-gen Suzuki Swift scored a satisfactory 3-star rating. The India-spec Maruti Suzuki Swift was good for only 2 stars. Due to questionable reasons, Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) stated earlier in the year that it won’t be sending its products to Global NCAP tests but develop them to meet Indian safety standards — read more details.

India’s very own Indian NCAP or BNVSAP (Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program) is yet to come into effect even though the initiative was proposed years before, to start by mid-2014. ARAI’s testing protocols that were proposed under BNVSAP include Frontal Offset (at 64km/h), Side Impact, Pedestrian Protection, Rear Impact and Child Dummy Dynamic Crash. The final rating is awarded based on features such as airbags, ABS, seat belt reminders, child lock, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), etc.

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