The subcompact hyundaithe grand i10which is known as the cheapest sedan of the brand and one of the best sellers for the Automotive industry in Mexico, it was also classified as an unsafe vehicle for the consumer that, when impacted at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour, would lead to injuries with a high risk of losing life, revealed Global NCAP.
“The i10 model produced for Mexico and other Latin American markets is equipped with only two frontal airbags”, when the rest of the vehicles already have 6 bags on average, reported on the eve of the first high-level meeting of the Assembly General of the United Nations on road safety in New York.
When performing a frontal crash test at 50 kilometers per hour, with a 50% overlap of the front of the vehicle, the Hyundai Accent, manufactured in Mexico and marketed in the United States, with the Grand i10 sedan, a model of the also Korean brand, manufactured in India and imported to Mexico for sale, it was found that the latter would be classified as a zero star car by Latin NCAP.
The Grand i10 sedan, presented results of instability in its structure, as well as possible injuries to the driver, both in the head and in the chest, which would put life at risk, despite the safety devices included in the car, Like the two front air bags.
Stephan Brodziak, president of Latin NCAP, said that this test reveals the great task to mature the Latin American automotive market: the absence of a vehicle safety label. A safety label on all new cars can alert consumers to the risks of low-safety cars and allow the market to move to commercial logic, turning the automotive industry, established in our region, into competition for the security performance offered that goes beyond the regulatory framework of a country”.
In 2021 alone, the grand i10in its sedan and hatchback versions, sold 15,363 units in Mexican territory, which represents more than 47% of Hyundai’s sales in Mexico.
Meanwhile, the accent it sold 4,068 units in the country. The Hyundai brand ranked 10th in total sales in the same year with 32,231 total sales.
The also coordinator of the Vehicle Safety Campaign of El Poder del Consumidor, Brodziak, reproached the Automotive industry that consumers “continue to be exposed to a high risk, starting with the fact that we are not informed of these differences in protection performance between what is marketed here and what is marketed in the United States.”
The worst part continues to touch those of us who are in Mexico and the rest of Latin America, the foregoing constitutes an act of discrimination by the automotive industry in terms of the protection of consumers and road users.
kg