Maruti Silently Introduces Crash Test-Compliant Ertiga And Ciaz

As per the standards laid down by the Ministry Of Road Transport and Highways all new cars launched after 1 Oct 2017 will have to comply with crash test norms. However, vehicles already on sale have time till 1 Oct 2019 to comply with these full frontal, front-offset and side impact tests. Maruti Suzuki's new generation products such as the Baleno, Vitara Brezza and the Ignis -- as would be expected from forward-looking clean-sheet designs -- have been designed to comply with these norms. However, older models would need to be reengineered to meet these norms. 

Enabled by the expansive R&D centre spread over 600 acres in Rohtak, Maruti Suzuki has reengineered the Ciaz and Ertiga to meet these norms. While details are scarce, the changes are said to include some structural changes for greater strengthening. However, C V Raman, Executive Director, Engineering, at MSIL, said that overall weight of the vehicles wouldn't have necessarily changed. Maruti Suzuki officials confirmed that the updated versions are already on sale. The Ciaz has been the segment leader recently. Maruti had hiked prices across the range in January 2017.   

Right from the 1980s, Maruti Suzuki’s Engineering arm has been increasingly engaged with Suzuki’s R&D division in Japan in developing products for India. From the Zen facelift in 2003, joint development of the Swift in 2012, to the full-body change for the new Alto 800 launched in 2013, Maruti’s R&D division has seen a ramp up of the abilities of the Indian arm. With the Rohtak facility in operation from 2013, Indian engineers can work in parallel with their Japanese counterparts for the development of all new products and share the workload. However, the revamp of the small car line-up is expected to be built on all-new platforms to boost the safety factor in the smaller hatchbacks too. 

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