Manufacturers have been upping the ante of their cars in terms of safety in the recent past, be it features or the crash test ratings. We’ve seen better NCAP scores for an increasing number of models, a few of which we have detailed in a list on our website. This time, let us take a look at the most affordable cars offered in India with six airbags, some of which get this feature as standard across the range.
The Maruti Suzuki Baleno currently gets two airbags as a standard feature. Six airbags are offered only from the Zeta Petrol MT variant onwards, with prices of the latter starting at Rs. 8.38 lakh. The premium hatchback is available in four variants, namely Sigma, Delta, Zeta, and Alpha. Apart from a petrol powertrain, the Baleno also gets a CNG option.
Hyundai introduced the i20 facelift in September this year. Apart from a tweaked exterior design and additional features, the model also received the six airbag suite as a standard feature across the range. Prices of the car with this safety kit start at Rs. 7 lakh for the Era 1.2 Petrol MT variant. For the uninitiated, with the launch of the 2023 i20, the carmaker no longer offers the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine from the previous iteration.
The only (sub-four-metre) sedan on this list is the Hyundai Aura. It joins the range of other Hyundai cars such as the Grand i10 Nios, Venue, and the Alcazar, which recently got the update where six airbags became a standard offering across the range. Customers can buy the six-airbag-equipped version right from the entry-level variant, called E 1.2 Petrol MT, which is priced from Rs. 6.44 lakh onwards.
The Exter B-SUV, which rivals the Tata Punch and the Citroen C3, is a model that came equipped with six airbags across the variant line-up right from the launch itself. Priced from Rs 6 lakh for the base-spec EX 1.2 Petrol MT variant, the Exter is offered in five variants across nine colour options.
Earlier this month, Hyundai confirmed that all its models would soon be equipped with six airbags as standard. Thus, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios becomes not only the entry-level model to be available with this feature but also the most economical choice for a car to get six airbags. The variant in question here is the Nios’ Era 1.2 Petrol MT variant, which is priced at Rs. 5.84 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom).