Bajaj Qute safety claims refuted by Volkswagen
Bajaj's quadricycle, the Qute, has taken a fair amount of fire in the recent past. The Indian motorcycle manufacturer recently made claims that their quadricycle achieved a one-star rating by Euro NCAP, higher than the zero-star rating achieved by the Volkswagen Polo, Ford Figo, Hyundai i10, Maruti Suzuki Alto, and Tata Nano.
Upon hearing of this, Volkswagen made a counter claim, stating that since January 2014, the Polo has been awarded a four-star Euro NCAP rating, ever since dual front airbags became standard safety equipment. By the looks the things, Bajaj has been comparing their Qute to pre 2014-spec Polos, which didn't come with airbags on the base variants. Also, comparing quadrcycle ratings to that of hatchbacks does not give the complete picture, since their respective tests differ.
Bajaj has also drawn flak from the Euro NCAP committee after they stated that the Qute is the safest car in its category. The quadricycle, while scoring a one-star rating was found to be unstable in frontal tests, with the dummy's head striking the steering wheel. It was also found to lack basic safety equipment like ABS, airbags, and proper crumple zones.
Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP secretary general, said, "It is disappointing to see that quadricycles are still lacking basic safety features that are common in small cars. By not challenging the manufacturers to do more, legislators continue to give a false impression to consumers that these vehicles are fit for purpose."