Understanding Maruti Suzuki's HEARTECT platform

The growing focus on safety in cars

There's no escaping the fact that cars are getting more complex, inside and out. With stricter safety norms kicking in, and with passenger safety being given the importance it deserves, the onus is on the carmakers in India to deliver on this front.

Manufacturing a car in India that is best in terms of safety is a common goal that all automobile manufacturers are working towards, and Maruti Suzuki is leading the way by offering the right balance of passive and active safety features in its cars. As the Indian car-buyers slowly gain awareness of vehicular safety, in terms of airbags and ABS and more, there's another important aspect to be covered, which takes precedence over everything else.

It all starts at the chassis

Perhaps, the 'biggest' safety feature of a car is one that isn't often talked about. It's at the very core of the car itself â€" the chassis, or platform, on which the car is built. In the case of Maruti Suzuki, that would be the latest generation of the HEARTECT platform. Now in its fifth generation, this Maruti Suzuki car platform has been continuously improved, incorporating learning from decades of research and development

At the heart of the HEARTECT platform

The first point to ascertain in terms of safety is how the car absorbs impact and keeps the passengers safe. The HEARTECT platform combines cutting edge design, rigid metal strength and impact-absorbing body structure. The frame, or chassis itself, has been engineered to disperse the force evenly and ensures that the least amount of force is transferred to the occupants in case of an impact. At the core of this engineering is the fact that with a smooth, continuous shape, with much fewer joint points between parts of the frame, it disperses energy more efficiently as well â€" with no major stress points at which a stress failure can be initiated.

Taking care of passenger safety

It has crumple zones that are carefully designed to deform upon collision, absorbing impact energy to reduce the impact on the occupants, who are in turn kept safe within the intelligently designed passenger cell. Both these components of the HEARTECT platform use Ultra & Advanced High Tensile Steel to provide optimum distribution of energy forces. This means superior cabin safety for the occupants in case of a collision.

Designed for better performance

The HEARTECT platform, through increased body stiffness, offers better ride and handling. Additionally, the platform helps achieve improved power to weight ratio which results in better performance in terms of drivability.

The advantages of the new HEARTECT platform can be seen in the WagonR, Swift, Dzire, Ertiga, Baleno, Ignis and the newly launched XL6.

Know more about Maruti Suzuki's Heartect platform.