Most Affordable Cars with Six Airbags in India: Hyundai Exter, Maruti Suzuki Baleno and More

The installation of six airbags in cars is gradually becoming a new norm in the Indian automotive market. Although not yet obligatory, numerous carmakers are now deploying this life-saving technology into almost all of their vehicles. The purpose of an airbag is to immediately inflate and deflate a bag in the event of a collision, safeguarding the passengers of the car. A flexible fabric bag, an inflating module, an impact sensor, and an airbag cushion are the components of this safety tool. When discussing the car's safety features, it's worth mentioning the six airbags that include two front airbags—one in each of the steering wheel and dashboard—two front passenger side airbags, and two curtain airbags that also shield the heads of rear occupants.

According to several reports, the amount of fatalities in India has fallen drastically since airbags have been included in cars. While there are still some cars that lack six airbags, there are some that do offer this feature. Here are some options to consider if you're in the market for an affordable car with six airbags. 

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Hyundai Exter

The Tata Punch competitor is available in India with a price tag that ranges between Rs 6 lakh to Rs 10.15 lakh (Both prices, ex-showroom). Its safety equipment list encompasses six airbags, vehicle stability management, hill assist control, burglar alarm, electronic stability control (ESC), ABS with EBD, rear defogger, rear parking camera, automatic headlamps, child seat anchor (ISOFIX), Day & Night IRVM (with Bluelink controls), and more. 

At the heart of the Exter is a 1.2-litre Kappa 4-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine that produces 82bhp at 6,000rpm and 113.8Nm of peak torque at 4,000rpm. Both a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT are available as transmission options. There is also a CNG option available, in which the Exter with solely a manual transmission generates 95.2Nm and 68bhp.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Sales data indicates that the Maruti Suzuki Baleno hatchback is a widely sought-after vehicle in India. This model was the best-selling vehicle in September of this year, surpassing the Maruti Suzuki WagonR, the Tata Nexon, and the Hyundai Creta. The carmaker sold 18,417 Baleno in September 2023. Price-wise, the car retails between Rs 6.61 lakh and Rs 9.88 lakh (All prices, ex-showroom). It has a 1.2-litre petrol engine with 89bhp and 113Nm, mated to a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT. The same motor produces 76.42bhp and 98.5Nm with a 5-speed manual while running on CNG. The Maruti Suzuki hatchback is a well-equipped car in terms of safety, with features such as up to six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability program (ESP), hill-hold assist, ISOFIX anchorages, rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera. It's worth mentioning that the Baleno offers six airbags as a standard feature only on the Zeta AMT and Alpha MT/AMT variants. Thus, if you want to avail this functionality, you would need to purchase the Baleno with these versions. The Baleno Zeta Petrol AMT is priced at Rs 8.93 lakh, while the Alpha MT, and AMT variants cost Rs 9.33 lakh and Rs 9.88 lakh, respectively. All prices are ex-showroom. 

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios

The upgraded Grand i10 Nios was introduced by Hyundai in January of this year. The price range of the Hyundai hatchback in India ranges from Rs 5.84 lakh to Rs 8.51 lakh. Both are ex-showroom prices. Six airbags, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), ABS with EBD, hill assist, electronic stability control (ESC), and ISOFIX child seat mounts are all included as safety features.

Coming to the engine details, the hatchback is powered by a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol mill that puts out 82bhp of peak power and 113.8Nm of maximum torque. In CNG mode, however, the Hyundai car produces a high power output of 68bhp and a peak torque of 95.2Nm.

Kia Seltos

The new Seltos from Kia costs between Rs 10.89 lakh and Rs 20 lakh (both prices, ex-showroom) and comes equipped with a long list of safety features, such as six airbags, a 360-degree camera, electronic stability control (ESC), hill-assistance control (HAC), tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). In addition to the 1.5-litre petrol and 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engines that were originally available, the SUV comes with an all-new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol unit. The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, the Hyundai Creta, the Volkswagen Taigun, the Skoda Kushaq, the MG Astor, the Honda Elevate, and the Citroen C3 Aircross are among the market rivals of the revamped Kia Seltos SUV.

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Maruti Suzuki Jimny

Maruti Suzuki launched the much-anticipated Jimny 5-door in the Indian market in June, with a starting price of Rs 12.74 (ex-showroom). However, the company recently introduced a limited-run Thunder Edition model of the car, priced at Rs 10.74 lakh (ex-showroom), making the new Jimny more affordable for its potential customer base. As for the safety features, the lifestyle SUV comes with six airbags, ABS with EBD, an electronic stability program (ESP), hill-hold assistance, and a rearview camera. The SUV is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated K15B petrol engine, which produces 134Nm and 103bhp.