India-built Hyundai i20 scores three stars in Global NCAP

-    Tested at 64kmph, the Elite i20 (i20 in the international markets) scored three star in adult occupant safety and two stars in child occupant safety.

-    The i20 tested was for the South African market and has a different structure than one on the European model. 

-    The test vehicle had two airbags but missed out on ESC, side airbags and side curtain airbags which are standard in Europe.

The latest results of the Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) included four new vehicles as a part of “Safer Cars For Africa” campaign. Of these four, the India-built Hyundai Elite i20 (which is called just the i20 in the international markets) scored three stars in adult occupant safety and two stars in child occupant safety. 

In the Global NCAP test, which was carried out at the speed of 64kmph, the i20 managed to score 10.15 points out of total 17 in the adult safety but just 18.16 points out of 49 in child occupant safety. The reports confirm that the head and neck protection for the driver and passenger was good. But the chest of the driver dummy had a limited protection although the front passenger dummy’s chest had adequate protection. In the same way, the driver's knees had minimal protection, while the passenger’s knees had satisfactory and marginal protection. But most importantly, the GNCAP rated the bodyshell of the hatchback as ‘unstable’.

The test car did not offer ISOFIX as standard. But there was a good protection to head and chest for the 18-month-old child dummy. The seat for the three-year-old dummy was installed with the adult seatbelt and could not prevent excessive forward movement exposing the head to risks during the test. The car does not offer three-point belts in all seating positions either. But the test car had a facility to disable the passenger airbag.  

The structure of the South African-spec Hyundai i20 is different from that of the European model, confirms GNCAP. Moreover, the safety equipment for the South African model missed out on features like the electronic stability control (ESC), side body airbags and side curtain airbags, all of which come as a standard fitment in Europe.