Maruti Suzuki’s (MSIL) new Dzire has become the first compact sedan in India to receive a 5-star safety rating under the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP). Additionally, MSIL’s premium hatchback, the new age Baleno, received a 4-star safety rating.
The rating certificate was formally presented to MSIL by Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways.
Maruti Suzuki also announced that all its passenger vehicles will be equipped with six airbags by the end of the year. Currently, the company offers a portfolio of 10 models with six airbags as a standard feature across variants. These models are Alto K10, Celerio, WagonR, Eeco, Swift, Dzire, Brezza, Grand Vitara, Jimny and Invicto. Maruti Suzuki also said that all of its models are now equipped with Electronic Stability Program+ (ESP) as standard.
“Six airbags from an entry hatchback to a premium SUV, is a significant stride by Maruti Suzuki towards vehicle safety. I am sure this will encourage other manufacturers to make six airbags a standard feature across all variants of their models,” said Gadkari.
Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO of MSIL, said, “Within this year, Maruti Suzuki will be having all models across all variants equipped with six airbags as standard. In addition, well ahead of regulatory requirement, all our 18 models are equipped with Electronic Stability Program, by far the widest portfolio in the industry.”