Maruti Suzuki attempts to change image with six-airbag ‘safety shield'
Kolkata: Maruti Suzuki is seeking to alter the perception that its vehicles are low on safety features by making six airbags a standard feature across 97% of its product portfolio, including all variants in entry-level cars such as the Alto, S-Presso, and Wagon-R.
"Safety is paramount, and we believe it must be available to every customer irrespective of the variant they purchase," said Maruti Suzuki senior executive officer (marketing & sales) Partho Banerjee. Renault, whose Kwid is the closest competitor to Maruti Suzuki Alto, does not offer six airbags as a standard safety feature. Hyundai's Grand i10 NIOS, a hatchback in a segment above the entry-level, offers six airbags.
"Hyundai was the first to introduce six airbags across models and variants in Oct 2023," said a Hyundai India official. Tata Motors was the first Indian automaker to focus on safety and received the five-star safety rating by Global NCAP in 2018, followed by the Altroz, Harrier, Safari, and Punch. However, not all variants of these models have six airbags.
The Maruti Suzuki 'safety shield' provides both active and passive safety features across models. Apart from six airbags, it includes advanced safety technologies like Electronic Stability Control (ESP), Hill Hold Assist, and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). Banerjee said these safety measures had led to a 40% price hike in the entry-level segment.
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