5-Star Crash Safety Rating: What It Means For The Car’s Build Quality

The Maruti Dzire has sent shockwaves across the auto industry. A car that had earned a negative reputation over the years for its ‘tin can’ build quality has suddenly rocketed to the top of Global NCAP’s safe car lists. The new fourth-generation Dzire has earned five stars in crash safety ratings, making it the safest vehicle to wear the Maruti Suzuki badge. 

Does that mean the new Dzire improved its build quality by a factor of millions? The answer to this question requires us to get hands-on with the vehicle and put it through a detailed road test. However, the Dzire’s impressive new result in crash testing may have nothing to do with the overall build quality of the car.

Puzzled? Read on. 

What about the 5-star safety rating?

A 5-star safety rating should automatically translate to a better build quality across the board, right? 

Sadly, you are mistaken. The build quality and crash safety rating of a car are two largely unrelated factors when discussing crashworthiness. 

If there was a relation, then Tata Motors’ vehicles should have showcased bulletproof reliability owing to their 5-star safety ratings. But that's not the case, as evident from various consumer forums.

ALSO READ: Updated 2024 Tata Nexon EV, Gets Bigger Battery and Longer Range

What does the 5-star rating mean?

The star rating for a car’s safety has been lately used as a marketing tool to draw more customers to the showroom. However, customers often misinterpret the meaning of those star ratings and manufacturers don’t feel the need to correct them. 

The star rating is often used by crash safety testing institutions like the Global New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP) and Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP) to determine the crashworthiness of a new car model. The more stars a car scores, the better is it at giving its occupants a chance to survive in high-speed collisions under certain scenarios. If a car score a 1-star rating, it could prove fatal to its occupants. Those will 4-stars and above ratings are deemed safer in most conditions. 

However, despite a car scoring high on crashworthiness, it doesn’t guarantee tank-like safety. The GNCAP tests, in fact, are not representative of all real-world crash conditions at all speeds. 

Let’s consider the new Maruti Suzuki Dzire as an example.

- In the frontal impact test, GNCAP accelerated the car to a speed of 64 kph before letting it collide with a stationary object. Hence, if a Dzire collides with a stationary car at 64 kph, only then will the protection parameters kick in to ensure that ‘five-star’ safety rating. The results could be deadlier if the same crash happens at higher expressway speeds. Additionally, GNCAP didn’t test the car against a mobile object, which deprives us of the knowledge of a crash where two moving cars collide at similar or different speeds – one of the most common crash conditions on Indian roads.

- The side-impact test was done at a speed of 50 kph with the Dzire being stationary. The test didn’t replicate any condition where both cars were moving. 

- The pole-impact test was done at speeds of 29 kph. Any impact at higher speeds could change the outcome drastically. 

- The pedestrian safety test accounted for a human leg and the head smashing against the hood at undisclosed simulated speeds. No test was done with a full-sized dummy here. 

- The car’s engine wasn’t operating in any of the scenarios, unlike the real world. The test cars were drained of all the fluids. 

ALSO READ: Tata Nexon EV & Punch EV Secured Five Stars at the BNCAP Crash Test

Are the crash test safety ratings useless then?

No. But crash test ratings aren’t representative of the real deal that any car and its occupants have to face in the wild. As they say, something is better than nothing. 

The test parameters at GNCAP and BNCAP take into consideration the most common factors from various accident data over the years. Hence, a five-star rated car like Dzire should perform relatively well in protecting its occupants in most accident conditions. 

What matters most is how the car’s chassis and structure work to dissipate the destructive energies during an accident. If a car’s designers have given it ample crumple zones to dissipate the kinetic energy safely without letting it reach the occupants and cause fatal harm, the crash structure has done its job as intended.

However, the crash safety rating is dependent on the driver and its occupants equally.

- The star ratings only work when all occupants in the car have secured themselves with a 3-point seatbelt. 

- There should be fewer loose items inside the car’s cabin. It is advised to avoid storing large luggage pieces on the rear seat. The same goes for mobile phones mounted on the windshield and AC vents – they act like a stone in case of a collision. 

- Safe driving habits play a key role in ensuring safety on the road. Drivers should have the necessary skills to operate a car in almost all conditions safely and without the influence of alcoholic substances. Remember that it is better to avoid getting into an accident rather than risking your life.

So what is a car's ‘Build Quality’?

The build quality in a car refers to the general fit and finish of the product as a whole. Build quality comprises the quality of the paint job, the strength of the body panels, the reliability of the electrical systems, the fit and finish of the interior materials, panel gaps, etc. These factors don’t dictate the performance of the vehicle during a crash. The chassis and structural components decide how well a car performs in the event of a collision.

Hence, if you get out of your car after an accident and discover a badly crumpled front that renders the vehicle undrivable, it has done its job. You are safe and alive – that’s what matters for the crash structure of the vehicle. The bent panels, broken lights, shattered windscreen and damaged engine may make you pay a colossal repair bill but you live to tell the story to your loved ones. 

Conclusion

Therefore, if you are concerned about the safety and crashworthiness of your new car, always remember that the advertised figures may not tell the whole story. While we encourage manufacturers to implement as many crash safety features in their vehicles as possible, it also depends on you and a lot of other factors to stay safe on the roads.

Drive safe and try to stay away from trouble.

ALSO READ: Skoda Kylaq Is Finally Here! Indian Price Makes It a Tata Nexon Rival