VW Virtus & Skoda Slavia Follow Footsteps Of Taigun & Kushaq In Nailing The Global NCAP Crash Test

• Virtus and Slavia score five-star rating in Global NCAP crash tests.

• Full five star scores in both adult and child protection.

• Both share the same MQB-A0-IN platform as the Taigun and Kushaq.

• Base-spec models were tested packing dual airbags, ESC and ISOFIX mounts.

Remember when the Skoda Kushaq became the first made-in-India vehicle to ace the more stringent Global NCAP crash tests, with a similar result produced by the Taigun as well? Well, it looks like impeccable safety standards run in the family, as now the Skoda Slavia and VW Virtus have secured a full five-star rating as well.

How safe are they?

Saying very safe would probably be underselling it. So, let’s give you the details to paint the full picture. Both Slavia and Virtus recorded five-star ratings for both adult and child protection. Do note that both compact sedans were tested in their base-spec guise, which gets basic equipment like dual airbags, ESC and seat belt pretensioners, and not the full suite of safety kit like six airbags. 

Adult Protection

Out of a total of 34 points, the compact sedans scored 29.71. On frontal impact, the driver’s and passenger’s head, neck and knees showed ‘good’ protection. The footwell area and bodyshell got the ‘stable’ rating, with the latter showing room for further loading compared to the testing crash test speed of 64kmph.

Protection for the head, chest and abdomen during the side impact test was marked “adequate”, while the pelvis got “good’’ protection. Side pole impact was carried out with the model equipped with curtain airbags and every part received “good’’ protection except for the chest which had “marginal” protection.

The test result of the electronic stability control (ESC) system was marked as acceptable.

Child Protection

Another five stars came for the child occupant protection, where Slavia and Virtus scored 42 out of 49 points. The rearward-installed child seat along with leg support for the three-year-old offered complete protection with no head exposure. The child seat for the 18-month-old, also installed rearward with a support leg, offered full protection as well. 

Safety kits

Both the VW Virtus and Skoda Slavia receive impressive safety from their base-spec variants. Equipment like dual airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, three-point seat belts, tyre pressure monitoring, rear defogger, and ISOFIX mounts are offered as standard in both. Going up the trims brings more features like six airbags, auto-dimming IRVM, hill-hold assist, and reversing camera. 

Also Read: Nissan Kicks Says Goodbye, Gets Discontinued After 4 Years Of Service

These back-to-back five-star ratings from the VW/Skoda Group are a testament to their commitment to the Indian market and the epitome of a spectacular platform, which was honed especially for the Indian market. The Slavia and Virtus join their stablemates as the newest five-star safety-rated offerings, and honestly, was it ever in doubt?