The safety ratings of MSIL cars aren't that great to be honest. A number of their cars are often referred to 'tincan on wheels' owing to their very light body panels. In fact they recently decided not to send their cars to Global NCAP for safety rating.
Anecdote time - the first time I rode in a Maruti Suzuki (an Omni - think Toyota HiAce/VW Transporter), the driver asked me to close the sliding door, as I was the last to enter.
Having ridden my fair share in old Transporters, I grabbed hold of the door handle and pulled, putting my body weight behind it to get the door going - and the door came flying along the rail, slamming shut with the sound of the lid being put on a shoe box, more or less.
It was, ahem, of a considerably more material efficient construction than the sliding doors on a Transporter.
Indian automakers have been faring far better here.
Tata and Mahindra's cars are increasingly top-of the pack when it comes to safety; very likely that if this continues, the Japanese car makers will enjoy the same fate as the Japanese bike makers.
Having ridden my fair share in old Transporters, I grabbed hold of the door handle and pulled, putting my body weight behind it to get the door going - and the door came flying along the rail, slamming shut with the sound of the lid being put on a shoe box, more or less.
It was, ahem, of a considerably more material efficient construction than the sliding doors on a Transporter.