The New Car Assessment Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, Latin NCAP, releases its latest results today, with a very disappointing zero-star performance for the Suzuki Baleno. Latin NCAP calls for urgent vehicle safety improvements. In the Indian market, this also applies to the Toyota Glanza as it rebadges the same car with the same safety features.
The Suzuki Baleno made in India with two airbags as standard achieved zero stars. The popular compact car achieved 20.03% in the Adult Occupant box, 17.06% in the Child Occupant box, 64.06% in Pedestrian Protection and Vulnerable Road Users box and 6.98% in the Safety Assist box. The zero stars result is explained by the poor side impact protection, low whiplash score due to the lack of UN32 proof for rear impact test, lack of standard side head protection airbags, lack of standard ESC, and the decision of Suzuki not to recommend Child Restraint Systems (CRS) for the test. The Baleno was offered in Europe, 6 airbags and ESC as standard, while the model in Latin America is not offered with side body and side head airbags (curtain airbags) and ESC as standard. Suzuki refused to test the optional equipment to show its performance which opens the question of the effectiveness of those extra safety elements.
The Baleno was tested in the frontal impact and side-impact, whiplash and pedestrian protection. In the frontal impact, the model showed stable structure performance. Side impact test showed high intrusion in the door with poor protection to the chest of the adult door during the test. Whiplash test showed marginal neck protection. The zero stars result is explained by the poor side impact protection, marginal whiplash protection, lack of standard side body and head protection airbags, lack of standard Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and the decision of Suzuki not to recommend Child Restraint Systems (CRS) for the test. Pedestrian protection performance showed a reasonable level.
