Breaking: Renault Kwid gets zero-star rating in Global NCAP crash test

The latest results from the Global NCAP crash tests in Delhi show the sorry state of safety levels in the cars available to the Indian subcontinent. The cars in question are the Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Maruti Suzuki Eeco, Mahindra Scorpio, Hyundai Eon and Renault Kwid. Each of these cars scored a zero-star rating for adult occupant safety levels.

Looking deeper into the Renault Kwid, three variants were put through the rigorous test, including the airbag-equipped variant. However, each variant returned appalling results. The first variant to get grilled was the standard Kwid without airbags, resulting in a structure collapse in the passenger compartment. This resulted in a zero-star adult safety rating and a two-star child safety rating.

Renault then requested the Global NCAP to test its updated Kwid which was in production from April 2016. The hatchback was tested with and without an airbag. The updated Kwid returned the same result. This time around, however, the structure didn't collapse but couldn't withstand any more external loading.

While testing the airbag-equipped updated Kwid, the hatchback yet again returned the same result. The structure result was no different, although there was excessive compression in the dummy chest area due to the airbag.

The Indian government has already put a crash test regulation into play, stating that all new cars released in the Indian market will need to be crash tested, as well as include safety features like ABS, ESP and airbags from 2017. Existing models have time till 2019 to comply with the new rule.

In response to these results, Renault has stated that it plans to improve the safety of its cars and will comply with the given timeline for the mandatory crash tests.

Statement from Renault India on the latest GNCAP results

GNCAP announced their results today and welcomed Renault's efforts and commitment to safety enhancement. Safety is of paramount importance for Renault and all our products meet and exceed the requisite safety standards set by Indian Regulatory Authorities. India is gradually moving towards international safety norms by including more robust safety regulations and the assurance of the Bharat NCAP is a positive step in this direction. As a customer-focused company, Renault fully supports this initiative and we are already future-ready in terms of technology, design and engineering for enhanced safety for all our vehicles. Indian Government has announced that the crash test regulation for the existing cars will come into effect in 2019 and for the new cars in 2017 . Renault is committed to comply with these timelines.