Here, we bring you a list of the top 10 safest vehicles manufactured in India, as per Global NCAP crash test ratings
Vehicular safety used to be one of the most ignored aspects of a car in the Indian market. Neither manufacturers nor buyers were particularly keen on safety just until a few years ago. Although safety is still low on the priority list for many car buyers, there are plenty of people who are now aware of its importance.
Thankfully, things are slowly improving, and nowadays, we have vehicles being manufactured in India that have managed to score high safety ratings (as tested by Global NCAP). Still, there aren’t many cars in our market that have great safety ratings. Here, we have a list of the top ten safest made-in-India cars.
1. Mahindra XUV300 – 5 Stars
Mahindra XUV300 is currently the safest vehicle manufactured in India, as per Global NCAP crash test results. The vehicle scored a 5-star safety rating for adult occupants (safety score- 16.42/17), and a 4-star rating for child occupants (safety score- 37.44/49). The XUV300 also offers seven airbags on the top-spec trim, which make things even safer, and it gets disc brakes on all four wheels as standard.
2. Tata Altroz – 5 Stars
The Tata Altroz is currently the safest hatchback in India, with an adult occupant safety rating of 5 stars (16.13/17) and a child occupant protection rating of 3 stars (29/49). The vehicle only offers dual airbags on all trim levels though, and we feel that there should be an option for up to 6 or 7 airbags, at least on the top trim.
3. Tata Nexon – 5 Stars
Tata Nexon was the first Indian vehicle to score a 5-star safety rating in Global NCAP safety assessment, and it is also one of the best-looking sub-4-metre SUVs in India. The little Tata crossover has a 5-star adult safety rating (16.06/17) and a 3-star child safety rating (25/49). Just like the Altroz, the Nexon only has dual front airbags throughout its variant range.
4. Mahindra Marazzo – 4 Stars
The Mahindra Marazzo is quite a handsome MPV, with design input from Pininfarina. It is also an extremely safe vehicle, with a 4-star safety rating for adult occupants (12.85/17) and a 3-star safety rating for child occupants (22.22/49). Although it only gets dual airbags on all trims, the MPV offers disc brakes on all four wheels.
5. Volkswagen Polo – 4 Stars
The India-spec Volkswagen Polo may be a generation behind the international model, but it is still a good car. It looks classy, has decent performance and handling, and of course, offers good safety as well. The VW hatch has a 4-star adult safety rating (12.54/17) and a 3-star child safety rating (29.91/49), which is quite impressive for a decade-old car.
6. Tata Tiago/Tigor – 4 Stars
Tata Tiago and Tigor may be budget-friendly vehicles, but they offer great safety as well. The pair has been awarded a 4-star adult safety rating (12.52/17) and a 3-star child safety rating (34.15/49). These safety scores are shared between the two, as they are near-identical vehicles, with the only difference being the stretched boot in the Tigor.
7. Maruti Brezza – 4 Stars
The Vitara Brezza is the only vehicle in Maruti Suzuki’s lineup to score a 4-star safety rating for adult occupants (12.51/17). The child occupant safety rating is quite low though, at just 2 stars (17.93/49). The Brezza is also one of the most popular vehicles not just in its own segment, but in the Indian car market in general.
8. Ford Aspire – 3 Stars
Ford Aspire also manages to make the list of the safest cars in India, but it doesn’t have very impressive safety scores. The vehicle has a rating of 3-stars for adult safety (10.49/17), and only a 2-star rating in terms of child safety (14.22/49). The child safety score in particular is very low, which is quite sad.
9. Maruti Ertiga – 3 Stars
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is not an extremely safe vehicle, but considering its low price point, it manages to fare decently well. The MPV has an adult occupant safety rating of 3 stars (9.25/17) and a child occupant safety rating of (25.16/49).
10. Renault Duster – 3 Stars
Renault Duster is the last vehicle to be featured in this list, and it is also the most premium one! Renault’s rugged crossover SUV only has a 3-star safety rating for adult occupants (9.0/17) and a 2-star safety rating for child occupants (17.75/49). Although these scores aren’t very impressive, the Duster still manages to fare better than the Kia Seltos!