Renault Duster for India has no airbags, scores ZERO points in safety

A helmet would be mandatory here

The Duster is one of the worldwide-acclaimed entry-level SUVs, thanks to its unbeatable value for money. But, as this crash test shows, it’s not the case in every country.

GlobalNCAP tested the Duster version sold in India, which in its entry-level version comes with no airbags at all. Unsurprisingly, the airbag-free Duster scored zero points for passenger safety during a crash, and a mere two stars for rear seat child occupant protection. Given the advance of the safety technology nowadays, this may seem outrageous.

In an interview with The Times of India, the president of the Institute of Road Traffic Education Rohit Baluja said “the Renault Duster has been created as a sporty vehicle and drivers tend to drive these at high speeds. Renault must make the Duster with an airbag as standard, as they do in other parts of the world. Indian consumers should no longer be subject to second class status on occupant protection from global manufacturers who achieve high levels of safety in other markets.”

GlobalNCAP also crash-tested a mid-level version of the Duster in the UK — which comes with a driver-side airbag — achieving a three-star safety rating. Also, in South America, the Latin NCAP car safety body awarded the Duster four stars and found that the car sold in this region is equipped with a bigger airbag compared to its Indian counterpart.

As tempting as the price tag would be, a car’s safety should be the greatest concern for carmakers, all the more so as drivers are distracted by modern cars' gadgetry.