Withdraw Datsun Go from India: Global NCAP to Nissan

Terming Datsun Go car as sub-standard, consumer safety testing body Global NCAP on Thursday asked Japanese car maker Nissan Motors to withdraw its compact car from the Indian market.

Datsun GO, which was launched in the country last year, had failed a crash test conducted recently by the Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP). It had failed on critical safety count.

In a letter to Nissan Chairman and CEO, Global NCAP Chairman Max Mosley urged for an "urgent withdrawal of the Datsun Go from the Indian and related markets".

"It is extremely disappointing that Nissan has authorised the launch of a brand new model that is so clearly sub-standard. As presently engineered the Datsun Go will certainly fail to pass the United Nation’s frontal impact regulation,” Mosley said. “In these circumstances I would urge Nissan to withdraw the Datsun Go from sale in India pending an urgent redesign of the car’s body-shell,” Mosley said.

Applying the UN’s minimum crash test standards to all passenger car production worldwide is a key recommendation of the Global Plan for the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, he added.

As per the crash results, the Datsun GO scored zero stars for adult occupant protection and just two stars for child occupant protection. Its vehicle structure collapsed in the crash and was rated as unstable. When contacted a Nissan India spokesperson said : “We have not received the letter yet”.

Earlier this week, Global NCAP had come out with the crash results for the Maruti Suzuki Swift which received a zero star rating in the 64 km/h frontal collision test.