Zero Stars: Watch These Indian-Market Cars Prove What Death Traps They Are

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Three versions of a Renault hatchback spectacularly failed their frontal crash tests in India, earning them zero out of five stars, even with an available airbag.

It’s food for thought for the 125,000 Indian buyers who placed orders for the subcompact coffin, but the Renault Kwid isn’t alone in flunking Global NCAP testing in that car-hungry country.

The Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Maruti Suzuki Eeco, Mahindra Scorpio and Hyundai Eon also failed to earn a single star, reports Business Standard.

Airbags aside, the main problem with these cheap vehicles is their lack of a rigid bodyshell. Without that protection, there’s little to stop a vehicle from crumpling all the way to the backseat. Global NCAP said the vehicle bodies were unstable, adding that the driver of each vehicle would suffer life-threatening injuries in a similar crash.

The Indian frontal tests were performed at 40 miles per hour. Imagine a head-on collision between two of these vehicles.

In response to its vehicle pooping the safety bed, Renault India stated it was “committed” to complying with the country’s looming 2017 crash test regulations for new vehicles.

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • "scarey" "scarey" on May 18, 2016

    The fact is that the only legitimate function of the government is to PROTECT its citizens from those who practice or threaten violence, theft, fraud, and abuse by other people, and protect its citizens from attack from other countries. Every other activity of the government is unconstitutional, and therefore illegal, no matter what congress, the president, and (increasingly) black-robed perverts on the federal courts deign to decree. Our country will be brought back to reality soon, whether by global or civil war, or by financial collapse. Ever wonder why there was no "gay rights movement" in the 30s or 40s ? It was because people were busy surviving- first, the Great Depression, and then World War II. To quote Bob Dylan, "It's a hard rain gonna fall." .

    • See 5 previous
    • Golden2husky Golden2husky on May 18, 2016

      ...To quote Bob Dylan, “It’s a hard rain gonna fall.” ... And he also said "The Executioner's face is always well hidden"...

  • Zipper69 Zipper69 on May 18, 2016

    Where were we ? Oh, yeah...cars, right.... Anywhoo...I believe these tests are run with empty gas tanks and engines turned off. If that is the case one can only wince at the fiery death awaiting any unfortunate survivor inside these deathtraps. Watching the A pillars pushing the roofline back and up was not a pleasant experience...

  • Probert They already have hybrids, but these won't ever be them as they are built on the modular E-GMP skateboard.
  • Justin You guys still looking for that sportbak? I just saw one on the Facebook marketplace in Arizona
  • 28-Cars-Later I cannot remember what happens now, but there are whiteblocks in this period which develop a "tick" like sound which indicates they are toast (maybe head gasket?). Ten or so years ago I looked at an '03 or '04 S60 (I forget why) and I brought my Volvo indy along to tell me if it was worth my time - it ticked and that's when I learned this. This XC90 is probably worth about $300 as it sits, not kidding, and it will cost you conservatively $2500 for an engine swap (all the ones I see on car-part.com have north of 130K miles starting at $1,100 and that's not including freight to a shop, shop labor, other internals to do such as timing belt while engine out etc).
  • 28-Cars-Later Ford reported it lost $132,000 for each of its 10,000 electric vehicles sold in the first quarter of 2024, according to CNN. The sales were down 20 percent from the first quarter of 2023 and would “drag down earnings for the company overall.”The losses include “hundreds of millions being spent on research and development of the next generation of EVs for Ford. Those investments are years away from paying off.” [if they ever are recouped] Ford is the only major carmaker breaking out EV numbers by themselves. But other marques likely suffer similar losses. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fords-120000-loss-vehicle-shows-california-ev-goals-are-impossible Given these facts, how did Tesla ever produce anything in volume let alone profit?
  • AZFelix Let's forego all of this dilly-dallying with autonomous cars and cut right to the chase and the only real solution.
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