Most Affordable Cars With Six Airbags You Can Buy Today
Indian car buyers are becoming increasingly concerned about safety. Crash test scores and the count of airbags offered can swing purchase decisions these days. Taking the same into account, more manufacturers are now focussing on improving the crashworthiness and safety offered by their products. The choice of having six airbags, which was a luxury once, is now available even on budget cars. Here are the five most affordable cars in India that offer six airbags…
Maruti Celerio
The Celerio range recently got updated. Six airbags are now standard across variants. The entry-level variant’s price has seen an upward revision and now stands at 5.64 lakh, ex-showroom. This makes it one of the most affordable cars in India to come with six airbags. The top-spec now has an ex-showroom price of 7.37 lakh.
The Celerio is powered by a 1.0L, three-cylinder K-series petrol engine that produces 56 bhp and 82.1 Nm. A 5-speed manual and 5AMT can be had as transmissions. The AMT variant has a claimed fuel efficiency of 26.68 kpl.
Starting Price: 5.64 lakh
Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS
The i10 NIOS starts at 5.98 lakh and offers six airbags on all of its variants. The prices go all the way up to 9.75 lakh for the top-spec AMT. Hyundai offers the i10 NIOS with both petrol and CNG powertrains. The petrol version is powered by a 1.2L Kappa engine that produces 83 PS and 114 Nm. The CNG powertrain has a lower output of 69 PS and 95.2 Nm.
Starting Price: 5.98 lakh
Nissan Magnite
The facelifted Magnite has safety features like six airbags, three-point seat belts for all passengers, ISOFIX anchors, traction control, TPMS, and hill-start assist standard across variants. The facelift had an introductory price of 5.99 lakh. But now, the base variant would cost you 6.12 lakh, ex-showroom. The fully loaded variant now has an average ex-showroom price of 11.88 lakh.
Nissan offers two powertrain options on the facelifted Magnite- a 1.0L naturally aspirated petrol, and a 1.0L turbocharged petrol. The naturally aspirated petrol engine produces 71 hp and 96 Nm while the turbocharged unit is capable of churning out 100 hp and 160 Nm.
Starting Price: 6.12 lakh
Hyundai Exter
The Exter is the smallest and most affordable SUV in Hyundai’s India lineup. It starts at 6.20 lakh, ex-showroom, and offers six airbags on all variants. The fully loaded variant has an ex-showroom price of 10.50 lakh. It is based on the same platform (Hyundai-KIA K1) as the Grand i10 NIOS, and shares its engines and transmissions with the hatchback as well. Hyundai has kitted all variants of the micro-SUV with 6 airbags.
Starting Price: 6.20 lakh
Fourth Generation Maruti Dzire
Maruti Suzuki recently launched the fourth generation Dzire sedan in India, priced from 6.84 lakh, ex-showroom. The previous generation sedan was infamous for its poor safety standards. Addressing the same, Maruti Suzuki offers 6 airbags and a slew of other safety features on all variants. The range-topping variant of the Dzire has an ex-showroom price of 10.14 lakh.
The new generation Dzire is available in both petrol and CNG engine options. The 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder Z series petrol engine comes mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT gearbox. It produces 82 PS and 112 Nm. The CNG powertrain on the other hand, produces just around 70 PS and 102 Nm and comes paired with a manual transmission alone.
Starting Price: 6.84 lakh
Does The Number Of Airbags Define Safety?
Having more airbags on offer can contribute towards increasing the overall safety offered by a car or an SUV. It alone, however, isn’t enough to guarantee safety. Other factors like the overall structure, rigidity, design, etc are equally important. Factors like crash test ratings and adult and child occupant protection scores are also to be considered if you are a safety-conscious buyer.