Suzuki is not only one of the biggest names in hatchbacks but also among budget vehicles. The updated 4th-generation Swift has been well received in India and globally. The India-spec 4th Gen Swift hasn’t gone through crash testing so far but got a 3-star rating from the Euro NCAP in its crash test of the European version. But when the Australian NCAP (ANCAP) put the ADAS-equipped 4th Gen Swift through its crash tests the result was a disappointing 1 star. That’s because these areas have different safety regulations than in Europe.
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Australia NCAP Awards 1-Star to Suzuki Swift 4th Gen, Raises Concerns Over Safety Differences
In an interesting turn of events, ANCAP released the crash safety results for the new Swift, and because of the similarities between the Australian and European models, we expected them to perform the same. The safety technology fitted to European and Australian versions of the Swift is different, according to Suzuki, which required extra tests. According to ANCAP chief Carla Hoorweg, the Australian-spec Swift’s crash results were a concern considering that it was unable to score more than 50% in any of the categories required for a 2-star rating.
Safety assist scored 54%, while the adult occupant protection score was 47%, child occupant protection stood at 59%, and vulnerable road user protection was 76%. In comparison, the Euro-spec 4th Gen Swift scored 67% in adult occupant protection, 65% in child occupant protection, 76% in vulnerable road user protection, and 62% in safety assist. Hoorweg added that with the cars often appearing similar across markets, many buyers were unaware of the differences in safety specifications.
In India, things get even more interesting, with the Dzire, the sedan version of the 4th Gen Swift, recently receiving a 5-star crash rating by Global NCAP. This has led to some speculation that the India-spec Swift could have also scored the same, but we will not know for sure until the Indian-spec variant is put under crash testing.
FAQs
Why did the Australian-spec Suzuki Swift score only 1 star?
The Australian version of the Suzuki Swift had different safety specifications compared to the European model, leading to a lower crash test rating.
How did the European Swift perform in crash tests?
The European-spec Suzuki Swift received a better crash test score, with a 3-star rating and higher performance in adult and child occupant protection.k
