New Mahindra Thar gets four-star rating in Global NCAP crash test

Mahindra & Mahindra is on a roll on the safety front. The recently launched Mahindra Thar SUV has achieved a strong four-star rating for both adult and child occupants in Global NCAP’s new round of #SaferCarsForIndia crash tests.

The Mahindra Thar was tested in its basic safety specification, two airbags, and achieved 4 stars for adult and child occupants. Global NCAP says the Thar also meets the side impact UN 95 regulation. The safety watchdog said, "Side impact UN95 test was performed on the Mahindra Thar and it comfortably passed regulatory requirements. Any car maker can voluntarily request for a UN95 assessment. The side impact test is mandatory to reach five stars but it was not considered in the scoring as the Thar did not reach the required points in the frontal impact to achieve a five star result."

Global NCAP tested Thar’s ESC according to UN regulation. ESC is not fitted as standard on the Thar and although the model met minimum regulatory requirements, the car showed an unstable dynamic behaviour. Global NCAP recommends a review and improvement.

Commenting on the result, Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Global NCAP said, “Mahindra’s commitment to safer cars is once again displayed for consumers and shows that it is possible to offer good safety performance in the Indian market. It is encouraging to see manufacturers that also offer high levels of protection for children traveling in their vehicles. The Thar demonstrates the capacity of Mahindra to improve its fleet safety.”

David Ward, President of the Towards Zero Foundation said, “Another good result for Mahindra which shows the manufacturer’s commitment to safety. It is very satisfying to see this growing vehicle safety trend in the Indian car market, which combines minimum regulatory requirements with the purchasing power of #SaferCarsforIndia informed consumers, helping to drive demand for ever safer vehicles.”

Commenting on the results, Velusamy R, chief of Global Product Development – Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra said, “This is a proud moment for Mahindra as the 4-star rating for the all-new Thar reiterates our unstinted commitment towards safety. It has achieved a robust GNCAP 4-Star rating, which is a first-in-its-segment with highest points in child safety amongst all cars tested by Global NCAP so far. The all-new Thar is designed keeping the safety of our customers as the topmost priority, including Adult and Child safety. Infact the entire safety simulation and development of the all-new Thar was done at Mahindra Research Valley, Chennai. I am sure that this recognition will further make it a popular choice amongst our consumers.”

ADULT OCCUPANT The protection to the driver and passenger heads and necks was good. Driver chest showed adequate protection and passenger chest showed good protection. Driver knees showed marginal protection as they could impact with dangerous structures behind the dashboard supported by the Tranfascia tube while passenger knees showed good and marginal protection. Driver tibias showed marginal and adequate protection while passenger tibias showed adequate protection. The bodyshell was rated as stable and it was capable of withstanding further loadings. Footwell area was rated as unstable. The car offers standard SBR for driver and passenger. All of the above explained the four stars for adult occupant protection.

CHILD OCCUPANT The child seat for the 3 year old was installed FWF with ISOFIX anchorages and top tether and was able to prevent excessive forward movement of the head during the impact below the 550mm limit. The 18 month old CRS was installed with the ISOFIX base with support leg rearward facing offering full protection to the child occupant. CRS marking was permanent on both CRS. The recommended CRSs did not show incompatibility. The vehicle offers 3 point belts in all seating positions and it also offers ISOFIX anchorages. All of the above explain the four stars for child occupant protection.

Coming barely 10 months on the back of the Mahindra XUV300's five-star crash rating, the Thar's strong result is another indicator of M&M's improved vehicle safety standards. It follows on the heels of mixed crash results earlier this month for the Maruti S-Presso, Hyundai Grand i10 Nios and the Kia Seltos.  

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