Maruti Alto (ZERO-Star NCAP) Dragged by Bus, ALL SAFE

Maruti Alto 800 is the cheapest offering from the country’s largest carmaker in the market with a starting price of Rs. 2.95 lakh. Also, it is one of the best-selling cars in the Indian market. The Alto 800 was tested by Global NCAP in the year 2014 under ‘Safer Cars for India’ campaign where it scored a rating of zero stars. But, crash test ratings shouldn’t always be the only way to judge a car’s capacity to keep its occupants safe during an accident. Here’s an incident that we came across via a social media platform that follows our claims. In the images here, a crashed Maruti Alto 800 can be seen. The car has suffered major damages, as it got hit by a roadways bus from the left-hand side. Fortunately, all the occupants walked out of the Alto 800 without any injuries, whatsoever.

According to the owner, the bus dragged the car for a few meters before coming to a full stop. As a result, the Alto 800 ended up with a crushed door, damaged pillars, crumpled roof, broken bumper, and a damaged rear wheel hub. Talking of its safety ratings, the Alto 800 scored zero stars at G-NCAP, but this test was done with the base-spec trim of the car, which then came with no airbags. However, the Alto 800 is now available with the driver-side airbag, ABS with EBD, seat belt alarm, high-speed notification, and rear parking sensors are standard fitment across the range. Sadly, the front passenger airbag is still an optional affair.

Powering the Alto 800 is a 3-cylinder naturally aspirated 796 cc motor. It is capable of producing a peak power output of 48 PS at 6,000 rpm and max torque of 69 Nm at 3,500 rpm. It is only offered with a 5-speed stick shift gearbox. However, the Alto 800 can be had with the option of a factory-fitted CNG kit. With CNG as fuel, it returns an ARAI-rated mileage of 31.59 km/kg, whereas the petrol variant delivers an ARAI-rated figure of 22.05 kmpl. Prices for the Alto 800 start at Rs. 2.94 lakh and go up to Rs. 4.36 lakh.