In a crash test conducted by safety watchdog Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme), Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza has secured a 4-star rating while Renault Lodgy failed to get any, getting a zero, said a report. The highest selling SUV, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, tested with standard double airbags, ABS, and ISOFIX anchorages, achieved four stars for adult occupant protection and two stars for child occupant protection, said the NCAP. 
 
According to the safety watchdog, the adult occupant protection was good and robust. The child occupant protection rating was only two stars due to the forward facing positioning of the 18 month old dummy in the test though the 3 year old dummy received good protection.
 
However, Renault Lodgy without airbags in its standard version failed to get any star for adult occupant protection and achieved only two stars for child occupant protection, said the report, adding that the zero star result was partly due to the lack of airbags which caused the head and chest to impact the steering wheel. 
 
Renault Lodgy also showed an unstable structure during the crash with deformations even in the rear door and a rupture in the footwell area during the crash. While the lack of ISOFIX anchorages showed that the child seats needed to be installed with adult seatbelts, as it could not prevent excessive forward excursion of the 3 year old dummy impacting its head on the driver seat backrest.
 
Lauding the Indian cars like Vitara Brezza along with Tata Nexon, the NCAP stated that these cars are clear evidence of the steady improvement in the Indian automotive industry and show a significant potential for much safer cars in the near future.
 
David Ward, Global NCAP Secretary General said, “The four star result for Maruti Suzuki’s Vitara Brezza is really impressive. It demonstrates clearly the safety engineering capabilities of India’s leading vehicle manufacturer. It also shows the beneficial effects of the Indian government’s new crash test standards helping to raise levels of vehicle safety."
 
"We are getting very close now to seeing India’s first five star car. In contrast the zero star Renault Lodgy is extremely disappointing. Global NCAP had hoped that Renault had learned from the difficult experience they had with the Kwid. It’s time now for Renault to make front air bags standard across their entire Indian product range," he added.
 
Notably, the Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP) launched safer cars for India campaign in 2014 to promote safer vehicles in the country. Between 2014 and 2017 Global NCAP has completed more than twenty-five safety assessments which have acted as an important catalyst in the safety improvement of Indian cars.
 
Meanwhile, Global NCAP is hosting its first ever World Congress in Delhi from September 26 – 29, 2018. The Congress will bring together the community of New Car Assessment Programmes (NCAPs) worldwide to share experience about independent consumer vehicle safety rating. 
 
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It will also provide a unique opportunity to assess the contribution that safer vehicles can make to the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety and the Sustainable Development Goals, the NCAP statement added.