Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) has been in news recently when it flagged off safety concerns with the popular Swift hatchback from Maruti Suzuki and Datsun's Go hatchback in the country. This time around the safety agency, in an unprecedented move, they have called on Nissan asking them to withdraw the Datsun Go hatchback from Indian market owing to severe lack in safety features in an event of crash.
Lack of safety features like airbags and ABS was expected to deprive the Go hatchback of its stars, but there seems to be much more than what was seen as reportedly Max Mosley, Chairman of NCAP drafted a personal letter to Nissan asking them to withdraw the Datsun Go hatchback from the Indian market citing an unstable body shell that severely lacks structural integrity. Speaking more on the occasion, a letter drafted by Max Mosely to Renault - Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn states, “As presently engineered the Datsun Go will certainly fail to pass the United Nation's frontal impact regulation. It is extremely disappointing that Nissan has authorized the launch of a brand new model that is so clearly sub-standard. In these circumstances I would urge Nissan to withdraw the Datsun Go from sale in India pending an urgent redesign of the car's body-shell.”
NCAP has also added that carmakers generally justify poor safety in their vehicles sold in developing countries by citing that their vehicles are compatible with local standards and Nissan has not been much different in this regard. Commenting more on the issue, a company's spokesperson said, “Datsun GO meets minimum required local vehicle regulations in India and was developed with a strong intention to deliver the best adapted solutions to the local conditions, from best in class braking and good visibility to durability, seat comfort and reduced motion sickness – all being taken as a package aim to decrease potential risk of road accidents. Automotive regulation standards in fast-growing countries are constantly evolving and as a global manufacturer, we are willing to adopt as well as help evolve vehicular safety standards.”
Adding views on the issue, Rohit Baluja, president of India’s Institute of Road Traffic Education, said, “Consumers are not yet aware of the safety aspects of the vehicle they purchase. The consumer believes that the automobiles they are purchasing meet the best safety standards. While deciding to purchase the vehicle the consumer does not yet consider safety as a deciding parameter.”
