How Did The 2024 Maruti Suzuki Dzire Score 5-Star Safety Rating in GNCAP?

The 2024 Maruti Suzuki Dzire has earned a full 5-star safety rating in the recent crash tests by GNCAP, and that marks a huge shift for Maruti Suzuki as a brand long criticized for the safety of its cars. 

Now, the question is: how did the Dzire, once infamous for its poor safety scores, secure a 5-star safety in GNCAP?

Maruti's Safety Struggles and Tata’s Rise

Over the years, Maruti Suzuki’s whole lineup of cars, like the Dzire, were labelled “tin cans” due to poor crash test ratings and real-life performances. 

This was especially noticeable as Tata Motors’ cars, like the Punch & Tiago, started dominating with 5-star-like safety ratings. It wasn’t only Tata’s rise in the sub-compact segment; brands like Volkswagen, Skoda & Mahindra also tried to get a better slice of the subcompact segment with their new SUVs. 

All of this pushed Maruti to act quickly, focusing on improving safety to meet customer expectations.

So, what changed? How did the new Dzire achieve this remarkable safety feat?

The New Heartect Platform and Six Airbags: The Key Upgrades

Two major upgrades helped the Dzire secure its 5-star safety rating: the Heartect platform and the new six-airbag mandate.

1. All New Heartect Platform: Built for Safety

As per Maruti Suzuki, the new Heartect platform is made from ultra-high-strength steel, which is said to be 300 times stronger than regular steel. The chassis also features strategically designed crumple zones at the front and rear to absorb crash energy, and its smooth, continuous design helps dissipate energy while protecting occupants. 

2. Six Airbags: A Mandate That Helps

The 2024 Dzire comes with a total of 6 airbags as standard. Additionally, it includes ABS and ESP, both of which performed flawlessly during the tests by GNCAP. 

The GNCAP Crash Test Breakdown

The Dzire’s performed unbelievably better than its previous iteration. In the front crash test and side impact test, the car’s body shell remained stable with no intrusion. If you don’t know already, this is a crucial safety factor. Other than that …

• Front Crash Test: The driver’s head, neck, knees, and tibia received good protection. However, the chest protection was rated as marginal.
• Side Impact Tests: Protection for the head, abdomen, and pelvis was good enough— but the chest protection is still marginal during a side pole impact. 

When it comes to pedestrian protection, the Dzire passed the head and leg impact tests, showing adequate safety for pedestrians.

Child Safety: A Surprising 4-Star Rating

In terms of Child Safety, the 2024 Swift Dzire earned a 4-star safety rating from GNCAP. It comes equipped with ISOFIX anchors, offering good protection for both 18-month-old and 3-year-old children. However, neck protection for both child seats was rated as poor, which remains a concern but is still a huge improvement over past models.

Talking About Past Models

The last tested iteration of the Maruti Suzuki Dzire scored only two stars in GNCAP’s safety tests. Moreover, it had marginal protection for most of the driver’s body and poor protection for the feet. The Swift Dzire didn’t even offer the side airbags as standard and that led to no side-pole impact test in GNCAP. 

But in real-life incidents, we have seen how it performed during accidents. Even a very minimal impact would bend the metal body sometimes. Also, we have seen instances where even leaning on the car is creating a dent in the body. So this is actually huge, not only for Maruti Suzuki but also for the Dzire nameplate as well. 

What This Means for Maruti Suzuki

As we mentioned earlier, the 2024 Dzire’s 5-star rating is a major turning point for Maruti Suzuki. It not only proves that the brand can deliver affordable cars that are also safe but also raises the bar for the entire Indian automotive industry right now. 

Maruti Suzuki is a brand that is known for focusing on cost-efficiency; however, they have now successfully balanced safety, affordability, and reliability, positioning itself as a serious contender in the safety-conscious market.

Now time will only be the judge about how the other brands survive the fights against 5-Star Maruti Suzuki products in the future!