With an eye on establishing its image as a maker of safe vehicles, Hyundai has now made six airbags standard on every car and SUV it sells in India at present, becoming the first mass-market carmaker in the country to do so. Of the nine core models it has on sale in our market, six model lines were already equipped with six airbags across the range. Only three products didn’t have them as standard up until recently – the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios hatchback, Aura subcompact sedan and the Venue subcompact SUV. Starting today, these models will also have six airbags, even in their most basic specification. However, Hyundai has not revealed if this has resulted in a price increase for select variants of these models.
Also Read: Hyundai Verna Secures Five-Star Rating In Global NCAP Crash Tests
What’s interesting is that while the airbag count has been increased, electronic stability control (ESC) is still not standard across Hyundai’s vehicle line-up. Entry versions of the Grand i10 Nios and Aura miss out on ESC, while the recently-introduced Hyundai Exter micro-SUV only offers it as an option on the base trim. However, this, too, is expected to change in the time to come, as the fitment of ESC will influence a vehicle’s prospects in the Bharat NCAP crash tests.
The Grand i10 Nios will be the most affordable car in India to be equipped with six airbags.
As per the requirements of Bharat NCAP, from 2024 onwards, to be eligible for a test rating of three stars or higher, a car must have ESC as standard, as vehicles with ESC only being available as an option cannot receive a test rating higher than two stars under the Bharat NCAP protocol.
Also Read: Hyundai Makes 3-Point Seat Belts And Belt Reminder For All Passengers Standard Across Its Portfolio
Earlier in the year, Hyundai made three-point seat belts and belt reminder systems for all passengers standard across its model range. The carmaker has also confirmed it will nominate three of its vehicles for the initial round of Bharat NCAP crash tests. The company chose to make the announcement on October 3, to coincide with the announcement of the Verna sedan securing five stars in Global NCAP crash tests, becoming the first Hyundai model to achieve this feat.
The Indian government had proposed to make six airbags mandatory for all passenger vehicles sold in the country, with the date to implement this decision having been pushed to October 1, 2023. However, it’s unclear if this proposal will be formalised now, with road transport minister Nitin Gadkari recently stating that there is no need to make six airbags compulsory, as the requirements of the Bharat NCAP tests – which are voluntary, not mandatory – will themselves push carmakers to do the needful.
