The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso has scored a 3-star safety rating during NCAP’s Safer Cars for Africa crash test. The tested model scored three stars for adult safety and two stars for child protection. The car was made in India and exported to the South African market.
What needs to be noted though, is that the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso scored zero stars for safety in India when tested by Global NCAP in 2020. The car had one airbag on the driver’s side, while the one tested in South Africa gets driver and passenger airbags.
As per NCAP, the S-Presso tested in South Africa provided good neck and head support for the driver and passenger. On the driver’s side, the chest showed weak protection, the knees showed marginal protection, and the driver’s right tibia showed marginal protection.
For the passenger side, the chest showed adequate protection, the knees showed good protection, and the passenger’s tibias showed adequate protection.
The test further showed that the bodyshell and footwell area was unstable and will not withstand any further load. The S-Presso does come with a seat belt reminder (SBR) for driver and passenger, however, it does not meet Global NCAP standards.
On the child safety front, Maruti Suzuki allegedly refused to recommend CRSs for the test, and the child seat was installed using adult seatbelts. The test failed to prevent excessive head excursion on impact, offering poor protection to the head and weak protection to the chest, as the S-Presso does not have 3-point seatbelts for the rear.
India will also be introducing the Bharat NCAP crash tests soon. Earlier, the Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari called out carmakers for not offering the same standard of cars for India and global markets.
