In the most recent round of Global NCAP safety tests, both the Skoda Slavia and the Volkswagen Virtus that are sold in India got 5 stars. Under the new safety test standards, both the Skoda Kushaq and the Volkswagen Taigun get a 5-star rating for both adult and child occupants, just like the sedans.
Under GNCAP’s new testing rules, the Slavia and Virtus are the first midsize sedans to get a 5-star rating. But under the new rules, the Kushaq, Taigun, and Mahindra Scorpio N were the first three vehicles to get a 5-star rating.
GNCAP also checked out two Maruti Suzuki cars in this round: the new Alto K10 and the Wagon R. The first one got 2 stars, while the second one only got 1 star.
Skoda Slavia, Volkswagen Virtus adult occupant crash test rating
In tests for adult safety, the midsize sedans from Skoda and Volkswagen got a total of 29.71 points out of a possible 34. This score is only 0.07 points better than what SUVs get. Testers said that the Slavia and Virtus did a good job of protecting the head and neck of the driver and passenger. But their chest was shown to have enough protection.
With a score of 14.2 out of a possible 17, the Slavia and Virtus did a good job of protecting their occupants in the side impact test with a deformable barrier, which was done under the new testing rules. The two midsize sedans got a “OK” rating in the side pole impact tests, but the chest area was not well protected.
In the GNCAP report, it was also said that the bodyshell and footwell area of the Slavia and Virtus were stable and could handle more weight.
The @volkswagenindia Virtus & @SkodaIndia Slavia achieved five stars in both adult & child occupant protection showing a stable structure which offered good protection under our more demanding #SaferCarsForIndia crash test protocols.
Full video: https://t.co/WAyjSlxfK3#50by30 pic.twitter.com/aHzMLEThdy
— GlobalNCAP (@GlobalNCAP) April 4, 2023
How well did the Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus do in child-occupant crash tests?
Both the Slavia and the Virtus did very well on the child occupant protection tests. They got 42 out of a possible 49 points, which gave them a 5-star rating. This includes the CRS (Child Restraint System) installation, which got 12 out of 12 points. It also got 24 out of a possible 24 points for the dynamic score.
GNCAP tested the Slavia and Virtus with dummies of a child who was 18 months old and a child who was 3 years old. Both seats were turned so that they faced backward. They were put in the car with the help of i-size anchorages and a support leg. Both of these helped keep their heads from hitting the front of the car in a crash. The CRS also had full protection from side impacts.
Both cars come with standard 3-point seatbelts in all seating positions, but there is no way to turn off the front passenger airbag if a CRS facing backward is installed in that seat.
New rules for testing by Global NCAP
Under the new Global NCAP rules, a car can only get a 5-star rating if it gets the required scores and also meets the GNCAP requirements for ESC, pedestrian protection, pole side impact, and seat belt reminder.
Since the whole testing process has been changed, it is getting harder to compare cars that were tested under the old rules to cars that were tested under the new rules. Under the old rules, a car’s star rating was based on how well it did in a front crash test. Under the new rules, a car’s star rating is based on how well it protects against side impacts and active safety features like ESC, which help avoid accidents in the first place.
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