Post the Maruti Suzuki Ignis- Can we Talk about Safety?

We live in a post Ignis world, where the car price- features offered expectation continuum has been shattered and base car models are relevant again. After Maruti Suzuki singlehandedly rewrote the rules of this game, the other carmakers are left with no alternative but to follow, and wake upto the new reality.

‘Gimme the lowest priced, safest and sporty looking Car’

Before 13th January, this would have been crazy talk. For example, let’s take the Maruti Suzuki Celerio price. The base model goes for ₹ 4.38 lakhs (petrol) while the top-end trim is available for ₹ 5.55 lakhs. While the base model is immensely rudimentary, the top-trim posts a range of interesting and helpful features. Importantly, while the base model is completely devoid of safety features (except the seatbelts, of course), the top variant is inclusive of Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Child Safety Locks, Crash Sensors, Driver Side Airbag, Passenger Side Airbag and a range of other features. All this at an incremented price of ₹ 1,17,000.

‘Wait, I’am a Safe Driver. Why do I need to pay an extra Lakh Rupees? (huf!!)’

Cause the carmakers dictated so. And, no matter how good a driver you are, there will be external factors that you cannot control, a rare moment of lost concentration, or a total freak instance. In such situations, being cocooned by a safe car will not only save your lives and that of your family, but will save everyone from grievous injuries. High end cars, eg. at the Toyota Fortuner’s price point, the concept of safety is an ingrained idea, that doesn’t need too much of a second thought. However, lower down the scale, safety is usually ignored to keep the costs low and the customers interested.

The Ignis blew away that arrangement clear out of the water. The car’s base model, Sigma, sports all the safety features that are featured on its higher ranked trims. Infact, taken individually, the car is a complete package that is loaded with top-notch styling, features and safety inclusions. And, at just ₹ 5.44 lakhs, it beats the aforementioned Celerio’s weak attempts to be a ‘complete’ car.

‘Ok, but what about other cars? I like the EcoSport, Ignis is too Next-Gen for me’

Sure, its not about the Ignis and its varied offerings, but the shift in popular mentality that it has inspired. Going forward, carmakers will have no choice but to make these base models stronger in terms of real-world safety and comfort in order to withstand the challenge of the Ignis and similarly configured cars that are sure to follow. Right now, the Ford EcoSport’s price still accounts for the prevailing automotive trend where the price dictates the availability of safety and smart city features. However, since this long loved car is priced right in the Ignis’s hit-zone, the changes will likely come sooner than later. Expect the EcoSport’s price to increment a wee bit, and the varied trims to be better configured to survive in the wild.

 ‘Right, safety is important’

 Exactly, the concept of car safety must rightfully take top priority. A couple of thousand rupees might seem daunting but they will account for those crucial additions in your car that correspond to saving your life and limb, as well as that of your family and friends. Money, you can earn back. An amputated leg however, doesn’t grow back. Nor does a life that has once been extinguished as its miserable final tumble wasn’t cushioned by the surety and security of an airbag.