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The news regarding the failure of Maruti Suzuki S-Presso in the Global NCAP crash test has already disheartened its existing and prospective buyers, not only in India but also in South Africa. According to reports after the announcements of the results, most of the buyers in South Africa expressed their concern for buying the Made-in-India Suzuki S-Presso. Replying to their concerns posted on the various social media platforms, the officials of Suzuki in South Africa replied that the version of S-Presso sold there is more than compared to the Indian version. Surprisingly, there has been no comment from the top management of Maruti Suzuki India on this matter.

 

 

The base variant of Maruti Suzuki S-Presso sold in the South African car market comes equipped with dual airbags, seat-belt with pre-tensioners and load limiters as standard features. All these features are offered as optional in the base variant sold in the Indian car market, and whereas the features like seat-belt with pre-tensioners and load limited are offered as standard features in the mid-level and top-level trims. The dual airbags are offered as an option in the mid-level trims, and standard in the top-level trims. According to the Global NCAP test rules, only the base trim equipped with standard safety features undergoes the test. 

 

Commenting on the buyers of the S-Presso in South Africa, Brendon Carpenter, Brand Manager, Suzuki Auto South Africa said, "The model that was used in the crash test is an Indian-specced model that is built exclusively for the Indian market. That particular model only features an airbag on the driver's side and it also doesn't have front seat-belts that feature pre-tensioners with load limiters." He also added, "The additional airbag and seat-belt enhancements make the local model a much safer vehicle. The S-Presso offers good value, but not at the expense of safety."

 

Earlier in November 2020, after the Global NCAP results for S-Presso were announced the sources of  Maruti India said, "Safety is a critical issue and is therefore closely regulated by governments around the world as they are responsible for the safety of the people in their countries. It cannot be left to the opinion of any self-proclaimed party. The Government of India has recently increased the stringency of car crash test standards and made them identical to European standards. All products of the company are fully compliant with these global standards and duly tested and certified by the Government of India."