“Concerns Remain”: Maruti Suzuki Celerio Scores 3 Stars In GNCAP Crash Test

The rating applies to the current version of the Celerio sold in India, which now comes with six airbags as standard. Despite the additional safety equipment, the hatchback continues to fall short of higher safety benchmarks under Global NCAP’s updated testing protocols.

In adult occupant protection, the Celerio scored 18.04 points out of a possible 34. For child occupant protection, it managed 18.57 points out of 49. By comparison, the earlier Celerio equipped with only two airbags had previously scored 2 stars for adult protection and 2 stars for child protection.

“While concerns remain over the Celerio’s performance, Global NCAP is encouraged by Maruti Suzuki’s commitment to six airbags as standard and the five star performance of the new Dzire and Victoris,” the report stated.

Adult Occupant Protection

According to the detailed assessment, frontal impact tests showed adequate protection for the driver’s head and good protection for the front passenger’s head. Neck protection for both occupants was rated as good. However, protection for the driver’s chest was weak, while the passenger’s chest received an adequate rating. Knee protection for both occupants was rated as marginal due to the possibility of impact with potentially dangerous structures behind the dashboard.

Lower leg protection was mostly adequate, with the passenger’s left tibia rated as good. The footwell area was marked unstable, and the bodyshell was also rated unstable, indicating that it may not be capable of withstanding higher loads in more severe crashes.

In side impact tests, head and chest protection was marginal, abdomen protection was adequate, and pelvis protection was rated as good. During the side pole impact test, protection for the head and pelvis was rated as good, while the chest and abdomen showed marginal protection. The car is equipped with electronic stability control as standard.

(Also Read: “It Is Unacceptable”: India-Made Hyundai Grand i10 Scores Zero Stars In GNCAP Crash Test)

Child Safety Protection

Child occupant protection remained a concern. In the frontal impact test, the child restraint system for the three-year-old, installed forward-facing using an adult seatbelt, failed to prevent head exposure, with poor protection recorded for the neck and chest. The rearward-facing seat for the 18-month-old also failed to adequately control head movement, with poor chest protection noted. In the side impact test, the restraint system for the younger child provided full protection, while the three-year-old’s restraint could not fully contain head movement.

Richard Woods, Chief Executive Officer of Global NCAP, said, “We are encouraged that Maruti Suzuki is committed to improving safety with five star performance for new models like the Dzire and Victoris, it remains disappointing however that some legacy models fall short.”

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