NEW DELHI: Four out of five popular small cars Volkswagen Polo, Tata Nano, Alto 800 and Hyundai i10 have failed crash tests based on UN standards, even as the manufacturers maintained they were complying with Indian norms.

The five vehicles which underwent tests account for around 20% of cars sold in the country. They were driven at 56kmph and 64kmph (NCAP standard) against a static object. India is one of the signatories to the UN standard for safe vehicles (R94), which prescribes the 56kmph crash test, although the government has not mandated the tests.

At present, all cars in India have to be checked for front and rear impact when they are being driven at 48kmph. A government official said the bar would be raised to 56kmph in 2015. Road transport secretary Vijay Chhibber said India would have its own NCAP norms and vehicles would undergo a full body test, instead of front and rear, at a facility coming up near Chennai.

Car manufacturers said they were complying with the current Indian standards. In addition, the companies said they had variants with airbags and additional safety features.

"Safety is of paramount importance to Tata Motors. All our vehicles, including the Tata Nano, meet all Indian safety regulations, including the frontal barrier crash test at 48kmph, as mandated by the government. All our cars on Indian roads, including the Nano, are engineered for safety in view of Indian road and traffic conditions," said Tim Leverton, head of advanced and product engineering, engineering research centre of Tata Motors.

Similarly, a Hyundai spokesperson said, "Our vehicles consistently meet or exceed applicable industry safety standards. We are monitoring the progress of this review and will work with Indian authorities, GNCAP and the other relevant stake holders as appropriate."

Global NCAP chief David Ward countered this by saying that nothing prevents Indian car manufacturers from making cars with minimum safety standard, especially when India is emerging as a global hub for automobiles. "The same companies produce vehicles of very high standard when they export vehicles to other countries," he said.

IRTE president Rohit Baluja suggested that companies should be asked to disclose information about safety levels. "Let them get a shock but then they can make an informed decision," he said.

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4 of 5 popular small cars fail safety test