Maruti Suzuki confirmed that all vehicles in its lineup will come equipped with six airbags at the earnings call. R.C Bhargava said that all the cars will get six airbags as a standard feature. Could this mean that there will be another price hike by Maruti Suzuki? Update in equipment, including safety features does usually result in a bump up in the cost of the vehicle.
The chairman of Maruti Suzuki further explained that the key to reviving the automobile sector in India is the growth of the small car segment. He said the reason why the market remains muted is because “only 12% of buyers can buy vehicles priced above Rs 12 lakh. Hence, car buying is restricted to this number.” With the rest 88% of car buyers not able to buy a car above Rs 10 lakh, “small cars have become expensive due to the high cost of regulatory measures. This is why there’s a decline of 9% in the small car segment,” added Bhargava.
Maruti Suzuki cars with standard 6 airbags
The country’s number one car manufacturer has recently updated its affordable vehicles with six airbags in the Eeco, the Alto K10 and the Celerio. One of the best-selling company SUVs, the Brezza, is also now equipped with this safety feature.
Maruti Suzuki still has to update its three popular vehicles, the Baleno, Fronx and the Ertiga, along with Ignis, XL6 and S-Presso. Currently, the two Nexa vehicles, the Baleno and the Fronx, offer six airbags in their top variants.
First Maruti Suzuki to earn 5-Star Global NCAP safety rating
Maruti Suzuki launched the new-generation Dzire last year, and it surprised everyone as it scored a five-star rating for adult and four stars for child occupant safety by Global NCAP. Fitted with six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and pedestrian protection as standard, the new Dzire is the first Maruti Suzuki to achieve such a high rating.
