With roads improving, road speeds too are increasing, but the quality of road users is not, which is leading to more accidents. Therefore, more than ever, there is an increased need for safety features in cars. Unfortunately, most car buyers don’t rank safety features that high when buying a car, choosing instead to opt for image value and convenience features.

There are a lot of misconceptions over airbags and anti-lock braking systems (ABS) in cars, resulting in many buyers not opting for these features just to save about Rs.30,000 on the list price. Misconceptions regarding these include the fact that airbags may deploy with even minor fender benders, resulting in higher repair costs.

But the fact remains that airbags do not deploy below a certain Tail Light threshold speed. And even if they do deploy in an accident, airbag replacement is fully covered under comprehensive motor insurance. Think of the extra cost of a car with airbags as a one-time insurance premium—it could mean the difference between life and death.

However, there are still some buyers who would prefer to pick a larger, premium hatchback instead of a fully-loaded hatchback purely for image reasons. Let’s look at the example of a Hyundai Elite i20 Magna variant, which is a premium hatchback, priced at Rs.6.37 lakh, on-road Delhi. This is a good looking car, but unfortunately does not come with safety features—no airbags or ABS. It is powered by a 1.2 litre petrol engine that puts out about 84PS of power. It also has a fair number of convenience features including a Bluetooth equipped music system, powered mirrors and windows along with rear AC vents. The car is a tempting buy just for its good looks.

Yet, it’s not really a practical choice if you have safety in mind. For the same on-road price of Rs.6.37 lakh, you can pick the Hyundai Grand i10 1.2 Asta (O) variant. This car comes with two airbags and ABS, as well as more features such as pushbutton ignition, alloy wheels, rear wiper, defogger and power-foldable mirrors. It is powered by the same 1.2 litre petrol engine that is in the larger Hyundai Elite i20. It’s not much smaller either. Boot space in the Grand i10 is 256 litres compared to 285 litres in the Hyundai Elite i20. The insurance premium payable for both cars is similar.

Think again. At the same price point, would you rather pick a car that looks better, but has no significant advantage in terms of power or safety features or pick one that offers more safety and convenience? My vote would be for the slightly smaller, but safer car.

The author is automotive journalist

OLMdesk@outlookindia.com