Made-in-India Hyundai Grand i10 Crash Tested for South Africa, Gets Zero Stars

The Hyundai Grand i10 sold in South Africa has been crash tested by GNCAP, the Global New Car Assessment Programme, and has been found to be inadequate in terms of safety. The car received a score of zero out of 34 possible points for adult occupant protection, and only 28.57 out of 49 for child occupant protection. Although it gets three stars specifically for child safety, it has been disqualified from receiving a star rating due to its overall shortcomings. 

The model is manufactured in India and exported to South Africa, among other countries. While the specifications of the units tested there might match those in other sales regions, GNCAP specifies that the rating is applicable only within South Africa. 

The main reasons for this poor performance were poor body shell integrity, a high risk of non-recoverable chest injuries for adults, and a lack of equipment, particularly for child safety. 

While head and neck protection for the driver and front passenger was good, chest protection was rated as weak and adequate, respectively in the frontal offset deformable barrier test. Protection in the side movable deformable barrier test was rated poor, exceeding the highest allowable levels. A strong probability of life-threatening injuries led to a score of zero in this test. Knee protection was rated marginal. The car’s footwell and overall body shell were deemed unstable. 

The agency was unable to conduct its usual side pole impact test as side head protection was not available in the Grand i10 as tested. 

In child safety tests, both the three-year-old and 18-month-old dummies placed in child restraints had adequate head protection, and the car passed its side impact protection assessment.

An overall lack of safety equipment also resulted in scores being capped, with the agency highlighting a lack of ESC (electronic stability control), a seatbelt reminder only for the driver, no standard side body or head protection, a lack of three-point seatbelts for all seats, the inability to disable the front passenger airbag when a child seat is installed, and the inability to place a rear-facing child seat in the rear centre seat. 

In a public statement, Bobby Ramagwede, Chief Executive Officer of the Automobile Association of South Africa, said “These results are deeply concerning and highlight a continuing pattern in which vehicles sold in Africa do not meet the same safety standards applied in other regions. South African motorists deserve better. The Hyundai Grand i10’s zero-star rating reinforces the urgent need for manufacturers to commit to equal safety for all markets. This result underlines why Africa urgently needs stronger regulatory standards and greater manufacturer accountability. The AA believes no vehicle should be sold here without side protection systems and Electronic Stability Control as standard. Safety should never be optional, and certainly not reserved for markets outside Africa.”

The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios currently sold in India comes with six airbags (driver, passenger, side and curtain), and three-point seatbelts with seatbelt reminders for all seats as standard across all variants. GNCAP tested the Grand i10 Nios with two airbags in 2020, and it achieved two-star ratings for both adult and child occupant safety at that time. Hyundai's made-in-India units are exported to over 140 countries, with South Africa being one of the top destinations. In FY 24-25, over 45 percent of Grand i10 customers were first-time car buyers.