Is Tata’s Build Quality Better Than Maruti Suzuki’s Build Quality?

Are Maruti cars safe? That has been a question that intrigues many car buyers.

Since many years now, the safety of cars from Maruti Suzuki has been under scrutiny, and for the reasons which might seem quite evident. There have been several instances when a vehicle from Maruti Suzuki has rather disappointed people when it comes to safety.

So much so, that the pictures doing the rounds of the internet, usually tend to show the brand in a bad light when it comes to safety. So, are Maruti Suzuki cars really unsafe or is this all a part of a corporate conspiracy theory? Well, we are in no position to answer that.

However, one thing that is impressing the Indian car buyers is – Tata. The company has made great strides when it comes to safety. The Altroz, Nexon, Nexon EV, Tiago, Tigor have proven out to be some safe cars from the company. Tata Motors is currently the safest Indian car manufacturer.

Let’s take a look into some real-life incidents, a few numbers, and some decent level investigation to prove this out.

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Tata Motors: The Safari To Safety

Tata didn’t have an epiphany and started building safer cars. It was all a result of some structural work back in 1998 when Tata Motors entered the car bazaar.

Back in 1997 when Tata was planning on launching the Indica, it did something unprecedented. Not did it provide an affordable car which went on to grab the ‘legendary’ tag. It made it safe. The reason we call it “unprecedented” is quite evident. Back in those days, when the carmakers focused on aspects like mileage, price and flashy interiors, Tata focused on safety.

Tata knew that the country was infamous for its road fatalities back then and even now. So, it decided to build an in-house safety testing facility. And this was back when there were no safety standards or parameters for cars plying on the Indian roads. Tata had its priorities clear. It had to make safer cars in a budget.

Now, rather than using some extraordinary materials, Tata focused on the layout. It focused on the design layout and an improved body-absorbing body structure with the passing time. What added on to the safety was the high strength steel construction (obviously, duh?), helping the car to absorb the energy during a crash. These small changes did payout in the long run.

Maruti Suzuki: A Swift Action Required?

You can hate it or love it, but cannot ignore it.

That sits pretty well with Maruti Suzuki. No matter what they say, the company has stayed here for a long time and with its sales figures, it for sure is going to stay. But when it comes to safety, the picture seems a bit dreary.

Over the years, Maruti cars’ safety has taken a hit. The company has gathered a reputation of a carmaker who doesn’t really focus on the safety aspect of the vehicle but just the materialistic stuff. You’ll get the flashy looks and amazing mileage but when it comes to the safety arena, the company plays in the backfoot.

However, taking all the criticism into notice, the company did come up with something good.

Understanding the HEARTECT Platform | Maruti Suzuki Safety

HEARTECT is Maruti Suzuki’s car development programme. The HEARTECT platform focuses upon the build of the chassis of the car.

Maruti’s HEARTECT platform focuses on making a car which absorbs the impact effectively. The core of the platform lies at reducing the number of joints in the chassis. In this model, the chassis is engineered specifically to disperse the jolt of impact equally across the vehicle. The key here is, no joints and hence no stress points. This ensures proper distribution of impact energy keeping the occupants safe.

Moreover, the HEARTECT platform is designed to deform on impact. There are a set of crumple zones across the chassis in the car. This ensures that the outer part crumples while the passengers in the cabin remain safe.

But is it?

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Pictures Don’t Lie | Tata vs Maruti

Now, when it comes to safety, most of the companies claim they are safe. They let the consumers know that they’re evidently investing a huge sum of money into safety and R&D. But the road is where things get real. A crash testing facility is just a facility at the end of the day.

The cars from Tata are actually showing what they mean – safety. The cars from around the country have shown great build quality measures from time to time. The better part is that people are actually noticing that.

The Final Verdict

Now, we can’t come to a verdict. At the end of the day, it’s the pictures that tell a story.

But there isn’t a single doubt that Tata has been diligent enough to work on its safety measures and it shows in the results. The agencies at the Global level are actually commending Tata’s efforts on building safer vehicles for the country.

However, when it comes to Maruti, things aren’t that pleasant. The Global NCAP president urged the company publicly to build cars that were actually safer for the Indian roads. To this, Maruti responded by not sending their cars for Global NCAP tests. It still keeps the “Are Maruti cars safe?” question hovering.

Even after all this, many of you might have a different viewpoint. Maybe, the story isn’t that bad? Maybe, the crumpled parts of a Maruti car are there just to tell a story that the passengers might be safe. Well, to answer that perfectly – maybe.

The interesting point is that people are finally realising that safety is an important aspect of buying a car. They do realise that it’s not about getting a flashier looking car than your neighbour. They love to settle for a plain-looking car that’s plain and simple. And that’s the progress that matters.

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