From launching safer cars, to poking fun at rivals – Tata Motors has aggressively promoted car safety
Starting with a very respectable Global NCAP rating of 4-stars for its Tiago and going all the way up to 5-star rating for its Altroz and Nexon, Tata Motors has really upped its safety game in India. With India topping the chart for road fatalities, an OEM’s commitment to come up with safer cars goes a long way in making things better.
Future cars from Tata Motors
Given the recent track record, we expect the upcoming passenger cars from Tata Motors to at least score a 4-star rating as they all will emerge from one of the existing platforms. For example, the HBX micro-crossover will be derived from the ALFA platform which scored 5-stars in Global NCAP crash tests with the Altroz hatchback.
In fact, Tata Motors has gone on record and stated that they are aiming for a 5 star rating for the HBX. It is also reasonable to expect the upcoming Kia Seltos rival which would slot between the Nexon and Harrier to have good safety credentials.
Harrier Crash Test
While Tata Motors ensured that the Altroz’s Global NCAP crash test scores were ready before its launch, we wonder why the company has not been equally proactive in getting the Harrier crash tested. After all, the Harrier is Tata’s current flagship and it acts as a significant brand booster. Moreover, the premium crossover will soon be receiving a variant extension in the form of Safari which will have formidable rivals to take on.
Sure, the fact that Harrier’s OMEGA Arc platform has its roots from Land Rover automatically carries some weightage when it comes to crash safety. However, given that there has been a considerable re-engineering and significant change in materials used, the Harrier’s Indianized platform cannot automatically inherit the Land Rover’s safety ratings.
So, it would be a good assurance to the customers as well as a strong marketing value for Harrier to be crash tested. That is, if Tata Motors is confident of its flagship scoring 5-stars. While 4-stars will still be a decent rating, it would be hard to explain that 1 missing star, especially considering that the Altroz and Nexon passed with flying colours.
Whatever be the case, Tata Motors owe it to the owners and prospective buyers of their most expensive SUV. Owners of entry level Tata cars know the safety rating of their cars, but those who own Tata’s biggest SUV are clueless about its safety rating.
Harrier And Safari Safety Rating
About a year ago, Tata Motors revealed crash test ratings of not one, but 3 of their cars at the same time. Altroz, Tiago and Tigor safety rating were announced at the same time, just a few days before the launch of Altroz. Can we expect a similar surprise from Tata Motors this time too?
With the Safari all set for its grand debut on 26th January, it will be perfect timing for Tata Motors to reveal the crash test safety ratings of their flagship SUVs Harrier and Safari. There has been no announcement on releasing safety ratings of Harrier or Safari from Tata Motors or Global NCAP. But there never is one. They are just announced, as a surprise. Are you waiting to get surprised from Tata Motors on 26th Jan?
