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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ibnanv" data-source="post: 16222913" data-attributes="member: 218596"><img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/72646000/jpg/_72646274_72646273.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />India's best-selling car Suzuki-Maruti Alto received a zero-star safety rating for adult occupant protection Five of India's most popular small cars have failed crash tests conducted by a UK-based car safety watchdog.         The tests by Global NCAP showed that if involved in a crashes, fatalities or serious injuries could result.         Among the cars tested was India's talismanic Tata Nano, the  world's cheapest car, as well as models made in India by Ford,  Volkswagen and Hyundai.         The cars were apparently stripped of safety features to make them cheaper for Indian buyers, correspondents say.         The five models accounted for 20% of all sales in the country  last year.  Estimates say that about 80 percent of the cars sold in  India have price tags of under $8,000 (£4,856).         "It's worrying to see levels of safety that are 20 years  behind the five-star standards now common in Europe and North America,"  said the head of NCAP Global, Max Mosley, the former chief of  international motorsport.          Those car manufacturers who have spoken out since the safety  tests have insisted that safety is of paramount importance and will be  reviewing the NCAP's test results.    Airbags left out           The car safety watchdog put five models through crash tests,  including the Suzuki-Maruti Alto 800, the Tata Nano, Ford Figo, Hyundai  i10 and Volkswagen Polo.          None of these entry-level cars sold in India are fitted with  air bags. They also lack the safety standards that the same models have  when sold in North America and Europe, according to the watchdog.         "Poor structural integrity and the absence of airbags are  putting the lives of Indian consumers at risk. They have a right to know  how safe their vehicles are and to expect the same basic levels of  safety as standard as customers in other part of the world," Mr Mosley  added.      <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/72645000/jpg/_72645597_72645596.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />      During the tests on Hyundai i10, the vehicle structures proved inadequate and collapsed to varying degrees       <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/72645000/jpg/_72645599_72645598.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />      Coinciding with the Global NCAP tests,  Volkswagen has decided to withdraw the non-airbag version of the Polo  from sale in India and replaced it with a version which has two airbags<img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/72646000/jpg/_72646272_72645600.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />The Ford  Figo's structures remained stable during the tests and Global NCAP says  that with airbags, this car would provide much better protection for the  driver and the front passenger          As a result of the tests, Volkswagen has withdrawn its Polo model without airbags.         Volkswagon also said the air bags, as well as anti-lock  brakes, would become standard from Feb. 1 along with a 2.7 percent price  increase to offset the costs the Associated Press (AP) news agency  reports.          "We are proud to be leading the cause of driver safety," Arvind Saxena told AP.         A Ford spokesperson told the BBC: "Safety is one of the  highest priorities in the design of our vehicles. Our vehicles  consistently meet or exceed applicable industry safety standards.          "We are monitoring the progress of this review and will work  with Indian authorities, GNCAP and the other relevant stake holders as  appropriate".         Tata has said it is looking at the Nano's structure for ways  to improve its strength, having already added power steering and other  features, AP adds.          India's growing middle class has helped fuel a massive boom  in car sales but are also always looking for a good bargain, the BBC's  Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi  reports.          But India also has more road accident deaths than any other  country - put down to bad roads, poor driving but also it appears unsafe  cars.          Every year, tens of thousands of people are killed on the  country's roads and the numbers have been rising steadily - nearly  140,000 people were killed in 2012, according to the government's  National Crime Records Bureau.         According to NCAP, it is estimated that 17% of these deaths are of car passengers.</blockquote>

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