Renault Kwid and Honda Mobilio get disappointing ratings in global NCAP crash test

The Renault Kwid may have been a popular low cost family car in India, but after a recent global crash test rating, is expected to get a lot more popular for all the wrong reasons. The Renault Kwid and the Honda’s recently launched Mobilio faired poorly in the Global NCAP crash tests which once again points to the fact that safety features like airbags should be a standard fitment in all cars.

The Global National Car Assessment Programme which a UK-based charity that is focussed on consumer-related vehicle safety, claimed that both vehicles in their non-airbag variants faired pretty badly.

The Renault Kwid even with a driver’s side airbag scored a single star for adult occupancy protection, while the Honda reported better scores for the variant with dual airbags.

Coming to the Renault Kwid, the frontal impact test (at a speed of 56kmph) revealed that the Kwid’s bodyshell was unstable and that it would not be able to withstand any further load beyond the crash.

As for the Honda Mobilio, it fared a lot better in terms of its bodyshell but offered poor head and chest protection in the basic version of the vehicle. Upon request GNCAP tested the variant with double airbags which achieved three stars in the adult occupant protection category.

“Renault and Honda make safe cars in other markets, and they have the knowhow to make all their Indian cars much safer. We expect them to start doing so now,” said David Ward, Secretary General of Global NCAP.

While prices are a concern for manufacturers and consumers, it is high time that the base models in India come with features like airbags as standard. As for the Renault Kwid, the results are a bit disappointing as the manufacturer failed the car crash test for the second time with the last test conducted in May.

The GNCAP is no small fry either as it is funded by a number of big names include the FIA Foundation, which is the governing body for Formula 1.

The last time around the fued was between GNCAP and Nissan where the Japanese car manufacturer initially defended its Datsun Go model.  As reported by The Guardian, the test conducted by the GNCAP showed that the Go model had little structural integrity and that passengers would not make it in a head-on collision. GNCAP argued that the model should never have been allowed to go on sale.