A global organization for car safety testing has asked Nissan to urgently withdraw Datsun Go model from India and related markets.
Nissan's Datsun Go, a recently launched car and Maruti-Suzuki's Swift, one of the best selling models in India, got zero-star safety rating for adult occupant protection in a crash test conducted by Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP).
Global NCAP chairman Max Mosley has written to Nissan chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn calling for an urgent withdrawal of the Datsun Go from the Indian and related markets, according to a report on the website of Global NCAP.
Max Mosley, Global NCAP chairman has said, "It is extremely disappointing that Nissan has authorized the launch of a brand new model that is so clearly sub-standard. As presently engineered the Datsun Go will certainly fail to pass the United Nation's frontal impact regulation. In these circumstances I would urge Nissan to withdraw the Datsun Go from sale in India pending an urgent redesign of the car's body-shell."
"Applying the UN's minimum crash test standards to all passenger car production worldwide is a key recommendation of the Global Plan for the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, he says, adding, "Given Carlos Ghosn's responsibilities as chairman and CEO of Nissan and president of the European Car Manufacturers Association, he should now demonstrate leadership both in Nissan and on behalf of the vehicle industry generally that corresponds to the UN's legitimate expectation that automobile safety should be improved during the Decade of Action."
The latest crash test results of the #SaferCarsforIndia campaign, released by Global NCAP on Monday, showed that Nissan's Datsun Go received a zero-star safety rating.
The vehicle structure collapsed and was rated unstable during the test. The high forces placed on the crash test dummies pose a grave risk of death or serious injury.
The Go's body shell is so unstable that it would be pointless to include airbags in the car.
However, on Tuesday Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) came out in defence of Maruti Suzuki and Nissan and said car makers in India meet the country's safety norms.
SIAM director general Vishnu Mathur lashed out at Global NCAP and accused it of scaremongering.
"Every country has its own safety requirements. Our cars are meeting safety norms set by the government," Mathur said on Wednesday.
In January 2014, Global NCAP published crash test results for five of India's best-known cars: the Suzuki Maruti Alto 800, the Hyundai i10, the Ford Figo, the Volkswagen Polo, and the Tata Nano. All the cars received zero-star adult protection ratings. Volkswagen has since decided to offer the Polo for sale in India with two airbags as standard. This model subsequently received a four-star safety rating.