The Maruti S-Presso was launched as a micro-SUV offering to rival the likes of the Renault Kwid while being a step above the Alto. it had been recently crash-tested by Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) where it scored a security rating of ZERO.
The S-Presso comes with a driver-side airbag as standard along side ABS. It scored zero out of a maximum potential score of 17 for adult occupant safety within the Global NCAP crash test. The bodyshell integrity also because the footwell area were rated unstable. While head protection of the driving force and passenger was said to be good, both scored poorly in chest protection. The passenger’s neck protection was also rated poor. Meanwhile, knee and tibia protection for the driving force was rated marginal.
In terms of kid occupant safety, the S-Presso scored 13.84 out of 49 which is additionally quite poor. Hence, the general zero star safety rating. It doesn’t accompany ISOFIX child seat anchorage and therefore the child-dummies were secured in situ using the adult seatbelts which didn’t offer adequate protection to either of them. Such a nasty score for a replacement Maruti model won’t necessarily cross the minds of its target customer base, but it’s still a poor showing from the country’s largest manufacturer.
Commenting on the Maruti S-Presso’s safety score, the President of the Towards Zero Foundation and a key leader within the campaign for safer cars in India, David Ward, said, “We’ve seen important car safety progress in India with new government legislation and makers like Mahindra and Tata accepting the worldwide NCAP five star challenge and producing models which go well beyond minimum regulatory requirements.