The country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India, is now offering six airbags as standard in 14 of its 16 passenger vehicles (PVs) across 140 variants, with these models together expected to contribute over 97% to the domestic volumes.
Maruti sells its cars via Arena and Nexa channels. Among the Arena models are the Alto K10, S-Presso, Eeco, Celerio, WagonR, Swift, Dzire, Brezza and Ertiga. The Nexa models include the Ignis, Baleno, Fronx, Jimny, Grand Vitara, XL6 and Invicto.
The latest Maruti cars to be equipped with six airbags across their complete variant line-up were the Baleno, Fronx, Ertiga and XL6, with the updates being rolled out in July.
Other than the S-Presso and the Ignis, all Maruti cars have six airbags in all their variants now, from the entry-level to the top-of-the-line.
In contrast, at least six airbags are standard in 11 Hyundai PVs (entire portfolio), eight Tata PVs, and four Mahindra PVs. This includes both internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric vehicle (EV) models.
"We have about 140 variants (of 14 cars), and we have been able to deliver six airbags across all the variants," said Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, during the carmaker's July sales media briefing.
"As a company, we are extremely proud of this achievement. We take care of the safety for our consumers, and we do not differentiate between a customer who is buying a lower variant or an upper variant. We believe safety is paramount, and it should be provided to all customers," he added.
The addition of six airbags is part of Maruti's larger effort to enhance the safety quotient of its cars. In the past, several Maruti cars have been under scrutiny due to safety concerns, despite always complying with all relevant safety regulations.
Banerjee said that the S-Presso and the Ignis contribute only around 2.5% to Maruti's domestic PV volumes. "But for over 97% of the vehicles sold, we have already got it done (standardisation of six airbags). If you look across the industry, we are leaps and bounds ahead of the others," he pointed.
Other than six airbags, Maruti cars are offered with safety features like electronic stability program (ESP), anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), hill hold assist, seatbelt reminder, three-point emergency locking retractor (ELR) seatbelts, and reverse parking sensors.
Recently, the Dzire, which is the largest-selling sedan in India, scored a five-star safety rating at the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP), while the country's best-selling premium hatchback, the Baleno, garnered a four-star safety rating.
Replying to a question from Moneycontrol, on the Bharat NCAP performance of the two models, during the media briefing, Banerjee observed: "I understand five-star is the topmost rating, but four-star rating for the Baleno is also equally important."
While safety-assessment tests are done by agencies, our job is to provide a holistic 360-degree safety experience to the customer, he said, adding that providing more safety features will give the customers confidence that the products now coming from Maruti are very safe.
The company plans to significantly upgrade the safety features in its future models. The two new Maruti SUVs, including the e Vitara, scheduled for launch this year, will come equipped with Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
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