Hyundai Introduces Airbag in Base Variants of Grand i10 and Xcent
Hyundai has upgraded the safety features in three of its models namely the Xcent, the Grand i10 and the Eon. This comes after global NCAP and the Indian government expressed their concerns over the safety standards in cars.
Hyundai has introduced airbags as a standard feature in more of its models. The company recently made dual airbags standard in the Elite i20, the i20 Active and the Verna and, now, the Xcent and the Grand i10 have joined the bandwagon.
The two cars get the standard driver airbag from the base variants. The Grand i10 will also get an optional passenger airbag from the mid-Sportz model. Another important change is the discontinuation of the Asta trim of the Grand i10, though Asta (O) remains the top-end variant of the car.
| S.No. | Car Model | Airbag |
| 1. | Hyundai Xcent | Standard driver airbag across the line-up |
| 2. | Hyundai Grand i10 | Standard driver airbag across the line-up Optional passenger airbag from mid-Sportz variant |
| 3. | Hyundai Eon | Standard driver airbag in top-end variant Optional driver airbag from second base model |
Hyundai has also upgraded the safety features in the Eon. The entry-level hatchback now offers driver airbag as an optional feature in all its variants, except the base one. The top-spec model gets the driver airbag as a standard feature (See the table). The Eon competes with the Alto 800, which gets optional dual airbags from the base variant. The Kwid, which also competes with the Eon, only offers an optional driver airbag, that too in the top-end model.
Passenger safety has become crucial for carmakers, despite reduction in the number of airbags leading to decreased production cost. This phenomenon was more prominent in entry level hatchbacks, as it was beneficial to the customers who were ignorant about options for the safety of occupants. The upgradation of safety features were a result of increased pressure from the Government of India and the ongoing efforts of the global New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). The change is evident as seen in the crash test results. Both the Honda BR-V and the new Fortuner scored 5-star ratings in NCAP crash tests conducted recently.
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