Tata Nexon continues to be safest car in India – Full list of cars tested with ratings

As compared to the list of bestselling cars in India, Global NCAP safety ratings reveal an entirely different list. Results for crash tests conducted between 2014-2019 show that many of the bestselling cars have got low scores, as compared to cars that sell relatively fewer numbers. This clearly indicates a serious flaw in priorities of car manufacturers as well as customers. However, some cars like Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza scored high in safety as well as sales.

At number one position in the list is Tata Nexon with 5-star safety rating. Nexon is the only car in India to get 5-star safety rating from Global NCAP. Nexon may trail behind Brezza and Venue in terms of sales, but it has beaten its rivals in safety.

The 5-star safety rating is applicable for all Nexon units produced from December 7, 2018. Second spot is also taken by Nexon, but this was the old variant that had received 4-star safety rating. It shows the Nexon has progressively improved its safety standards.

Following Tata Nexon, we have Mahindra Marazzo with 4-star safety rating. Marazzo is the only MPV in the list to get 4-star safety rating. High-level safety is a must for MPVs, as these are often used for long-distance journeys and travel at high speeds on highways.

Just like Nexon, Marazzo has beaten its rivals in terms of safety even though it falls short in the sales department. In September, Marazzo was ranked at 6th place in the list of bestselling MPVs with sales of 892 units. It was trailing behind rivals such as Ertiga, Renault Triber and Nexa XL6.

Other cars with 4-star safety rating include Toyota Etios, Tata Zest, Brezza, and Volkswagen Polo. Cars with 3-star rating include Ertiga, Ford Aspire, Honda Mobilio and Renault Duster. Surprisingly, bestsellers like Maruti Swift, WagonR, and Santro have got a low safety rating of 2-stars. This clearly shows lack of awareness among customers and carmakers’ focus on providing affordable products. However, things are expected to improve, as the government has mandated updated safety norms for all new cars.

Cars with the least safety rating of 1-star or 0-star include some popular cars such as Renault Kwid, Ford Figo, Maruti Suzuki Eeco, Maruti Alto, Maruti Celerio, and Hyundai i10. Other cars with lowest safety rating include Renault Lodgy, Datsun Go, Chevrolet Enjoy, Tata Zest, and Tata Nano. Some cars are mentioned twice or multiple times in the list, which indicates that different models of these cars were tested by Global NCAP from 2014 to 2019.