Volkswagen Polo And Vento Upgrade Standard Safety List

Volkswagen has updated the safety features of its Polo hatchback and Vento sedan in the country and made Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) a standard feature on the two cars. Earlier, the Trendline (base) variant was deprived of this safety feature but the addition has made the variant a safer and more complete package. Other than ABS, the cars also get dual front airbags as standard on all the variants. 

Earlier this year, the Vento 1.2-litre TSI had managed to upgrade its ASEAN NCAP safety rating from four to five stars, courtesy the addition of Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP) in the vehicle. However, all other variants of the sedan still have a four-star safety rating. The Indian avatar of the Volkswagen Polo, which now comes with dual airbags as standard, had scored four stars in the Global NCAP crash test. 

It's good to see manufacturers taking initiatives to better equip their cars in terms of safety. India accounts for roughly 3 per cent of cars around the world but contributes more than 10 per cent to the deaths caused by road accidents. In our country, about 1.46 lakh people lose their lives in automotive accidents in a year, which is the highest in the world. In 2015 alone, about 1,46,133 people died in 5,01,423 reported road accidents, while many others go unreported. These figures attest to the fact that most small cars in the country – which have repeatedly scored zero stars in NCAP rating – are really unsafe on the roads. 

Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) ensures that the wheel of the car do not lock, reducing the chances of the vehicle skidding off the tarmac. If the ABS system senses that one of the wheels is locking up, it reduces the brake pressure on that particular wheel and prevents the car from losing control. If we compare the Polo with its rivals, ABS comes as standard in the Baleno but not in the Hyundai Elite i20 or the Honda Jazz (which has it as a standard feature only in diesel variants).