Maruti S-Presso for South Africa scores three stars in Global NCAP crash test

- The India-spec S-Presso scored a zero star rating in a test back in 2020

- The organisation will be revising its test protocols from next month

Global NCAP released the last result for its latest round of crash tests, in which the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso for the South African market scored a rating of three stars. The organization will update future tests to include side-impact, ESC, and pedestrian protection requirements.

Coming to the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso for South Africa, the unit in question that was tested, was manufactured in India. The model comes with dual airbags as standard, with the body structure rated as unstable. On the other hand, the India-spec S-Presso, tested in 2020, scored a zero star rating.

According to Global NCAP, the driver’s chest showed a weak protection level, marginally avoiding a two-star rating. The level of child occupant protection showed the same performance as the version sold in India. The lack of features including Isofix anchorages, a three-point belt in all seating positions, and the decision to not recommend a Child Restraint System (CRS) resulted in a poor score for child occupant protection.

Speaking on the occasion, Alejandro Furas, Secretary-General, Global NCAP, said, “The safety performance of the S-Presso in South Africa has been far from satisfactory and claims of improvement are not reflected in levels of child occupant protection which remain the same as the Indian version we tested in 2020. There has been significant progress with vehicle safety in the Indian market with a welcome requirement for the fitment of six airbags as standard. We hope that Maruti Suzuki will not apply a double standard for the vehicles they sell in Africa compared to those sold in India.”