Made-in-India Suzuki Baleno first car to get Euro NCAP’s dual rating

The export model of the Made-in-India Suzuki Baleno has become the first car to get a dual rating from automotive safety watchdog Euro NCAP.

The Suzuki Baleno has two star ratings: one based on the safety equipment which is fitted as standard to all cars in the range and another which also includes an optional safety pack called 'Radar Brake Support'.  This assessment is for standard-fit safety equipment only.

The Suzuki Baleno received 3 stars based on the standard safety equipment. In Europe, Suzuki offers the optional safety pack ‘Radar Brake Support’ which includes an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) City and AEB Inter-Urban system. With the pack included, the Baleno achieves 4 stars. 

According to Euro NCAP, the optional autonomous braking system on the Baleno with safety pack demonstrated good performance in its tests and thus resulted in a higher rating.

From this year, Euro NCAP allows two star ratings for the same vehicle: by default, a base rating is generated for a car equipped with safety equipment which is standard on the model range throughout EU28.

If the manufacturer wishes, a second rating may be published for the car fitted with a ‘safety pack’ which is available on all variants but may be sold as option or standard in some markets. This dual rating allows consumers to easily understand the safety benefit which can be achieved by the additional crash avoidance equipment offered.

CLICK HERE for the detailed report on Standard Suzuki Baleno

CLICK HERE for the detailed report on Suzuki Baleno (with Safety Pack)

“The inclusion of AEB Pedestrian in the rating is a key milestone in the development of automotive safety that will help the proliferation of the crash avoidance technology into all segments of the market. At the same time, to provide accurate and clear information to consumers about the latest systems and what benefit they might bring, is becoming more challenging. The dual rating will simplify the choice for the safest car”, says Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General.

Euro NCAP comments on the standard-spec Baleno (3-stars)

Adult Occupant

“The passenger compartment remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. Suzuki showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different positions.

In the full-width rigid barrier impact, protection of the driver was rated as good except for the chest, protection of which was adequate. Dummy readings of chest compression indicated marginal protection for this part of the body but good or adequate protection elsewhere. In the side barrier test, dummy numbers showed good protection but the score for the head was penalised as the side curtain airbag was deemed not to have deployed in the correct manner in the side pole test.

In the more severe side pole impact, dummy readings of lateral rib compression indicated weak chest protection and the head protection was downgraded to adequate as a result of the incorrect airbag deployment. The front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good protection. The optional 'Radar Brake Support' was not included in this assessment.

Child Occupant

In the frontal impact, both the 6 and the 10 year dummies were properly restrained and forward movement was not excessive. However, dummy readings revealed high values of neck tensile forces in the 10 year dummy and marginal protection of the neck and chest of the six year dummy. In the side impact, there was insufficient pressure in the side curtain airbag to prevent the head of the 10 year dummy striking the interior of the car, around the C-pillar. This contact led to very high decelerations and protection was rated as poor.

Dummy readings of chest deceleration also indicated poor protection of that part of the body. The side wing of the child restraint used for the six year dummy was found to be broken after the test. High-speed film revealed that the dummy's head was not properly contained during the impact, increasing the likelihood of head contact with parts of the car interior. The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restrain to be used in that seating position. Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded.

Pedestrian Protection

The bumper provided good protection to pedestrians' legs and the bonnet gave predominantly good or adequate results, with poor protection only on the stiff windscreen pillars. The protection provided to the pelvis region was mixed, with areas of good and poor protection. An autonomous braking system capable of detecting pedestrians is not available on the Baleno.”

Also read: Toyota Prius receives first NCAP autonomous braking safety rating