arunphilip Distinguished - BHPian



Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,975 Thanked: 5,973 Times

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Re: Renault India builds a safer Kwid for Brazil - 130 kilos heavier! Quote: carmayogi Originally Posted by It reportedly has structural upgrades for better safety in the monocoque as well as individual parts.



For me, this behaviour is what crosses the line from criminally negligent manslaughter (e.g. "customers don't want safety", "our cars adhere to non-existent Indian safety standards") to murder (I presume the discussion went like this "What is the ultimate minimum we need to do to clear the Global NCAP?").



This is why, when you compare the two images below showing damage to the crash test dummies, you'll notice there's absolutely no improvement for the passenger, while there was some improvement for the driver (i.e. the legs are better protected).



Quote: Global NCAP tested the standard version of the Kwid without airbags. It scored zero stars in adult occupant protection and two stars in child occupant protection. The collapse of the structure in the passenger compartment and the lack of airbags explained the poor result.



Quote: Following safety improvements Renault proposed that Global NCAP test an updated evolution of the Kwid in production from early April 2016. The car was tested with and without an airbag.



The new Kwid without an airbag scored zero stars in the adult occupant protection and two stars in child occupant protection. The structure did not collapse however it was rated as unstable and that it could not withstand further loadings. It was possible to see the structural reinforcements implemented in this version of the Kwid but when Global NCAP checked the left (passenger) side, there were no reinforcements. The structure was reinforced only on the driver side.



Source:



Quote: vinair Originally Posted by For the price it is offered, I guess Renault wants us to just 'shut up' and not ask more. Looking at the numbers this car has done, I believe we have wholeheartedly obliged.



While I would personally have preferred India joining up with the ASEAN NCAP programme (or another NCAP) instead of winging our own safety standards, I'm still happy because the decision to mandate safety standards and crash testing in India is what will hopefully bring such knowledge to the masses.



Quote: smartcat Originally Posted by However, it makes total business sense to introduce 4 more variants of safer Kwid at a premium. Then let the customers choose what they want. Want me to really piss you off? When the Kwid failed the Global NCAP crash test, they then tried to game the system by only selectively reinforcing the driver's side of the car, as that is the side tested by Global NCAP's crash test.For me, this behaviour is what crosses the line from(e.g. "customers don't want safety", "our cars adhere to non-existent Indian safety standards") to(I presume the discussion went like this "What is the ultimate minimum we need to do to clear the Global NCAP?"). IANAL , so please don't shout at me if I've used these terms wrongly, its just to illustrate the degree of difference.This is why, when you compare the two images below showing damage to the crash test dummies, you'll notice there's absolutely no improvement for the passenger, while there was some improvement for the driver (i.e. the legs are better protected).Source: http://www.globalncap.org/zero-stars...p-crash-tests/ Nicely put! Sadly, it is also a case of lack of knowledge that has driven this - not enough people know to check about safety ratings and make a decision. For every one person (like us) who drops the Kwid after seeing the crash test results, there are 10 or more who don't know about this, and book the car for its good looks, small footprint and affordable cost.While I would personally have preferred India joining up with the ASEAN NCAP programme (or another NCAP) instead of winging our own safety standards, I'm still happy because the decision to mandate safety standards and crash testing in India is what will hopefully bring such knowledge to the masses.Very nice idea - and particularly doable for those manufacturers who use India to manufacture vehicles for export to developed markets. For instance, when Ford was exporting the EcoSport to Europe, if they had launched the identical variant here named the "EcoSport Euro Edition", then it will have been lapped up by people because either a) they want the added safety/features/etc. b) the ability to boast about the "foreign version" they got. Last edited by arunphilip : 13th July 2016 at 11:27 .