Suzuki Baleno Hatchback Not Good - Latin NCAP rated the model's crash test at zero points

The Japanese automobile concern has developed a new hatchback model for the Latin American market, but at the testing stage, the new product was put an end to. Crash tests were carried out as part of an independent Latin NCAP assessment program. The experts found the complete unsuitability of the vehicle for emergency situations. The tests were not even completed, passing the final verdict on the brand new hatchback.

Suzuki Baleno Details

car are manufactured in India at the Maruti Suzuki plant. According to the original design, the car is equipped with two airbags. The video of the crash test shows how they work. However, this level of protection is not enough to prevent serious bodily harm to the driver and passengers. The person's knees are hit. No less dangerous is the fact that the chest is completely unprotected.



After completing the first stage of testing, the experts gave a low rating - only 20% of the required level of safety for an adult and 17 percent for a child. Next, it was necessary to check what would happen to the car during a side impact and in the event of a collision with an obstacle in the form of a pillar. But the specialists saw enough of what they saw at the first stage of the crash test. Moreover, such a version, in principle, does not provide for lateral head protection, so the conclusions about the safety of the car are unambiguous and disappointing.

It is worth noting that in the European version of the hatchback there are no such vulnerabilities:

✅ In the basic configuration, the car comes with six airbags, which means a fundamentally different level of protection for the driver and passengers.
✅ Additionally, engineers have provided an ESC dynamic stabilization system that prevents skidding.

Such a complex of basic and auxiliary measures means a high level of safety when driving.

Specificity of the Latin American market

However, experts note that an insufficiently high level of safety is a common problem for cars produced for Latin American countries. In most cases, automakers "forget" even about the basic tools used in European versions.



Just in October, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), founded by three of the largest insurance companies in the United States, shared the results of checking crossovers and SUVs for compliance with new tougher requirements. The results of the tests turned out to be deplorable: out of two dozen test samples, only the Mazda CX-5 showed decent results.