India-Made Baleno Receives 1-Star Latin NCAP Rating, Six-Airbag Model Gets 2 Stars

The Suzuki Baleno, manufactured in India and sold in Latin American markets, has been awarded a one-star safety rating in the latest Latin NCAP crash tests for 2025. The assessment was conducted under the current evaluation protocols, which will be replaced by more stringent requirements starting in 2026. The tested Baleno was equipped with two airbags and Electronic Stability Control as standard, reported Carwale. It scored 42.28 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 65.46 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 48.28 per cent for Pedestrian Protection and Vulnerable Road Users, and 58.14 per cent for Safety Assist.

The model was evaluated in frontal impact, side impact, whiplash protection, pedestrian protection, and ESC performance. A pole side impact test was not conducted as the car does not offer side head protection as standard.

In the frontal crash test, the Baleno showed a stable structure and footwell, with adequate protection for the driver and front passenger chest. Despite some asymmetries, Suzuki demonstrated similar performance on the passenger side in a repeat frontal test. However, the side impact test showed weak chest protection for adult occupants, which contributed to the low overall rating.

For child occupant safety, the Baleno performed better when child seats were installed in a rearward-facing configuration using ISOFIX anchorages, showing near full protection. However, all child restraint installations in the front passenger seat failed.

Following Latin NCAP's decision to test the two-airbag version, Suzuki responded by standardising side body and curtain airbags for the Baleno in the region. The updated six-airbag version was subsequently tested and achieved a two-star rating.

This version recorded 79.38 per cent Adult Occupant Protection, whilst the Child Occupant, Pedestrian Protection, and Safety Assist scores remained unchanged. Thanks to the additional airbags, head protection improved significantly in both side impact and pole impact tests.

It is important to note that whilst the Baleno tested by Latin NCAP is manufactured in India, the safety rating may not directly apply to the Indian-spec Baleno, as equipment levels and safety features can vary by market.