Global NCAP

[4] The five cars tested did not have frontal airbags and showed varying degrees of collapse of the passenger cell, and were awarded zero stars for adult occupant protection because injury measures from important body parts of the crash test dummies recorded unacceptably high risks of serious, severe or critical injury.

[5] The first phase of results gained international media attention,[6] prompting manufacturers like Toyota and Volkswagen to make frontal airbags standard fitment across their Indian fleets.

The combination of Indian legislation for the fitment of frontal airbags[9] and the enforcement of UN-equivalent front and side impact standards for the homologation of new models from 2017 and existing models from October 2019[10] has resulted in Indian cars showing lower fascia-level intrusion in the test,[11] but the standards lack characteristics of consumer tests like the protection of less important body parts like the feet, or the modification of results for poor robustness, and results of Global NCAP's frontal offset consumer-test remain mixed.

[12] In July 2022 the assessment protocols for the project were updated to include side impact protection and seatbelt reminders for the rear seats in the score, and electronic stability control, pedestrian protection and side curtain airbags as qualifying requirements for higher star ratings.

When the award was first introduced in 2018, it was available to five-star vehicles that additionally demonstrated UNECE-compliant pedestrian protection performance and offered electronic stability control at least as an option in sufficient volumes.

Additionally, the award was opened to vehicles in emerging markets outside India and Africa that are not covered by a New Car Assessment Programme.

The article also claimed that Global NCAP passed the basic version of the Ford Figo for the UN's Regulation 94 frontal crash test at 56 km/h 'claiming it would have performed better if it had airbags'.

[40] This drew criticism from the Suzuki distributor in South Africa, who said in a media statement that "this nullifies the results and makes the report invalid".