The Made in India Suzuki Baleno has recently gone through the Global Latin NCAP crash test, and the results have surprised many car buyers in India. Despite being one of the most popular premium hatchbacks in the country and offering modern safety features, the Baleno managed to score only a 2-star safety rating under the Latin NCAP protocol.
Global Latin NCAP Crash Test Results Explained
According to the official Latin NCAP data, the Made in India Suzuki Baleno received the following scores:
- Adult Occupant Protection: 79%
- Child Occupant Protection: 65%
- Pedestrian Protection: 48%
- Safety Assist: 58%
Based on these scores, the Baleno was awarded an overall 2-star rating in the Latin NCAP crash test. The good news is that Latin NCAP confirmed the bodyshell of the Baleno is stable and capable of withstanding further loads. This means the basic structure of the car is strong and well-built.
Baleno Adult and Child Safety
In frontal and side impact tests, adult occupant protection was rated from good to adequate, which is reassuring for daily city and highway use. The whiplash protection in rear impact tests also received a good rating, showing that the seats and head restraints perform well during sudden rear collisions.
For child occupant protection, the Baleno scored 65%, which is decent but not class-leading. The presence of ISOFIX child seat mounts helps improve child safety, but the score could have been higher with more advanced safety systems.
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Suzuki Baleno Safety Features
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno safety features list is actually quite strong for its segment. It includes, Six airbags (standard), ESC (Electronic Stability Control), ISOFIX child seat mounts, ABS with EBD, Rear parking sensors and camera (variant-wise) These features help protect occupants during accidents and improve vehicle stability.
The main reason for the lower Latin NCAP rating is the absence of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). The Baleno does not offer features such as:
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Lane Assist
- Speed Assist
- Blind Spot Detection
- Other active safety technologies
These systems carry significant weight in Latin NCAP’s Safety Assist scoring. Even if a car performs well in crash protection, missing these technologies can sharply reduce the overall star rating. Watch India Made Suzuki Baleno Latin NCAP Crash Test.
Baleno Bharat NCAP Results
Earlier year, under Bharat NCAP, the Suzuki Baleno scored 4 stars for both 2-airbag and 6-airbag variants. This clearly shows that the car is capable of delivering good safety.
However, it is important to understand that Bharat NCAP and Latin NCAP follow different testing protocols and scoring criteria. Latin NCAP places much more importance on active safety and ADAS features, while Bharat NCAP currently focuses more on structural safety and basic protection. This difference in protocols is the key reason behind the contrasting results.