Suzuki SA assures its airbag and ABS-equipped Swift is safe
CONCERNS regarding the safety rating of the Suzuki Swift 1.2 produced in India, which have emerged in the wake of a recent Global NCAP crash test, are not relevant to the model sold in South Africa.
According to the Global NCAP, an umbrella body of car safety testing, the 64km/h frontal offset crash tests of Nissan's Datsun GO and MarutiSuzuki's Swift demonstrated a high risk of life-threatening injuries with both cars receiving zero-star safety rating for their adult occupant protection.
According to Charl Grobler, sales and product manager at Suzuki Auto SA, the test was conducted on two different grades of the Suzuki Swift: the Indian basic specification model, and the Latin American export specification version.
“However, the Swift 1.2 model offered for sale in SA is the export specification version, which comes equipped with ABS and dual front airbags. Therefore, the zero safety score is not applicable to the locally available Swift model,” Grobler added.
The Global NCAP test conducted on the export model as sold in SA resulted in a threestar rating. The Swift 1.2 also meets all SA regulations and compulsory specifications as set out by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) - previously known as the SABS.
Grobler points out that SA customers seeking an even higher level of active and passive safety can opt for the Swift 1.4 and Swift Sport models. These models benefit from additional safety systems, including a total of six airbags, Brake Assist (BA) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) for the ABS braking system, and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP).
The Datsun GO, which was launched in South Africa last month, is available here with neither airbags nor ABS brakes. However, the NCAP organisation remarked that the body structure of the Datsun Go performed so badly that fitting an airbag would be futile.