The Honda Jazz and the fourth-gen City were among the latest vehicles to be crash tested by Global NCAP under its Safe Cars for India program. Both the cars got four stars for adult occupancy. While City matched that score for child occupancy, the Jazz scored only three stars in this test.
This generation of Honda Jazz (second for India, third globally) has been around since 2015, so its strong performance in crash tests is reassuring. Incidentally, although its four-star adult occupancy rating is similar to that of the Gen 4 City, it scores slightly higher at 13.89 points (out of 17). Reports place it in a good bodyshell structure that can withstand more loads. The result was good head and neck protection for front seat occupants, although knee protection was modest due to the potential impact of ‘dangerous structures behind the dashboard’.
The slightly lower three-star child protection rating was due to limited protection on both the lack of ISOFIX mounting points and the child seat test in some areas. It scored 31.54 out of 49.
The fourth-generation Honda City is on sale in India as a petrol-only sedan despite the arrival of the new fifth-gen model in 2020. It’s also been on sale since 2014, so again, its four-star rating is a positive sign. However, its score was slightly lower than the Jazz’s score of 12.03 (out of 17).
Like the Jazz, the structures behind the dashboard offer minor knee protection up front. However, the body shell and footwell area were rated as unstable and unable to withstand the overload. The child protection score was 38.27 out of 49, earning a four-star rating. Notably, the fourth generation City came with ISOFIX child seat mounts, and the protection offered was quite good.
This round of tests takes the number of Indian cars crashed by Global NCAP to 50 points since testing began in 2014, but interestingly, the list includes only one Honda model before it – the 2016 Honda Mobilio MPV.
Global NCAP is also set to update its testing procedures from July 2022 to include mandatory side impact testing, pedestrian safety testing and factor in ESC.
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