If you're in the market for a car under Rs 10 lakh and want the assurance of six airbags as a standard safety feature, you're in luck. While it's not mandatory for all cars just yet, some brands like Hyundai and Tata have taken the initiative to make it a standard feature on many of their models.
Importance of Safety: People now consider safety to be very important when selecting a new vehicle. So, the government is working to make sure automakers adhere to a set of fundamental safety requirements. In early 2022, a new government mandate was proposed to make six airbags a mandatory standard feature on all cars eligible for carrying up to eight occupants. Although this mandate hasn't taken effect yet, many carmakers have proactively updated even their affordable models to offer this important safety feature as standard.
Understanding Six Airbags: To be clear, when we refer to "six airbags," we mean that your vehicle will have two airbags in the front (one in the steering wheel and dashboard), two on the sides to protect the front passengers, and two curtain airbags to give the heads of the rear passengers additional protection.
Now, let's delve into some of the affordable car models that come with these six airbags as standard and are priced under Rs 10 lakh:
1. Hyundai Grand i10 Nios
Starting at a price of Rs 5.84 lakh, the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios offers six airbags as standard. It's the most affordable option from Hyundai to provide this important safety feature. This vehicle also has a reversing camera, electronic stability control (ESC), ISOFIX child seat fixings, and a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in addition to airbags.
2. Hyundai Exter
Priced starting at Rs 6 lakh, the Hyundai Exter is a recent addition to the market and comes with six airbags as standard. A dual dashcam unit, ESC, hill-hold assist, and a reversing camera are some of its other safety features.
3. Hyundai Aura
Starting at Rs 6.44 lakh, the Hyundai Aura, which is the sedan sibling of the Grand i10 Nios, recently received the standard six airbag update. It raised the starting price by Rs 11,000. The sedan has airbags as well as safety features including ESC, ISOFIX child seat mounts, hill-start assist, and a rear parking camera.
4. Hyundai i20/ i20 N Line
The i20 starts at Rs 6.99 lakh, while the i20 N Line starts at Rs 9.99 lakh. The facelifted Hyundai i20 and i20 N Line both come with six airbags as standard. A tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), ESC, a reversing camera, and ISOFIX child seat anchorages are among the other safety features they provide.
5. Hyundai Venue/ Venue N Line
The Venue starts at Rs 7.89 lakh, and the Venue N Line starts at Rs 12.08 lakh. In early 2023, the Hyundai Venue was updated to offer four airbags as standard, with six in the top-spec SX(O) trim. With the safety update, the starting price for the sub-compact SUV went up by Rs 12,000. Other safety equipment includes ISOFIX child seat anchorages, a reversing camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). The Hyundai Venue N Line also comes with six airbags as standard. Its base variant, the N6, is feature-loaded and comes with a more powerful turbo-petrol engine, hence the higher price. The Venue N Line is also the first model from the carmaker to come with a factory-fitted dual dashcam.
6. Tata Nexon
Starting at Rs 8.10 lakh, the Tata Nexon received six airbags as a standard feature with its recent midlife refresh. Besides airbags, the updated Tata SUV includes a 360-degree camera, an electronic stability program (ESP), 3-point seatbelts for all passengers, ISOFIX child seat anchorages, and front and rear parking sensors.
As these vehicles include six airbags to protect you and your passengers in the event of an accident, they provide the peace of mind that comes with safety. For this reason, if you value safety above all else in a new car, these models are something to think about. These cars demonstrate the automakers' commitment to cutting prices and improving everyone's access to safety.