Homegrown auto companies like Tata and Mahindra have some of the safest cars on offer, as per Global NCAP ratings
Over the last few years, Global NCAP has been playing a key role in spreading awareness about car safety in the country. An independent, private agency, GNCAP has carried out crash tests on a number of cars in India.
GNCAP utilizes various parameters for its tests, which can vary based on the country. The bare minimum is cars being tested for driver and co-passenger and child occupant in rear seat. This is currently the test criteria being used in India by GNCAP.
Based on the specific country or region, other safety parameters can also be included. For example, NCAP also assesses features like safety assist functions, pedestrian safety, and motorcyclist safety depending on the country/region.
Here’s a compilation of safety ratings of cars in India that are still in production and have been tested by GNCAP. Discontinued cars such as Ford Figo, Aspire and old-gen versions like Celerio have not been included in this list.
Safest Cars Nov 2021 – by adult safety
In terms of adult safety, the top-rated car is Tata Punch. It has received 16.45 out of max 17 points, the highest of all cars in the list. Punch was launched in October at a starting price of Rs 5.5 lakh. Its safety features include dual airbags, ABS with EBD, central locking and rear parking sensors. Other cars that received 5-star for adult safety include Mahindra XUV300, Tata Altroz, Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV700.
Safest cars by child safety
In terms of child safety, the safest car is Mahindra XUV700. It has received 4-star for child safety and 41.66 points out of max 49. Launched in September, XUV700 has emerged a bestseller. More than 70k bookings have been received and it is now the top selling mid-size SUV in the country. With 3,407 units sold in October, it has raced ahead of rivals like Harrier, MG Hector, Safari, Hyundai Alcazar and Jeep Compass.
Other cars in the list that have 4-star for child safety include Thar, Punch, XUV300 and Tata Tigor EV. An important thing to note here is that none of the cars have 5-star rating for child safety.
Safest cars by total points scored
In terms of overall score, it’s a close fight between XUV700 and Tata Punch. Total points scored are 57.69 and 57.34, respectively. Although these two belong to different categories and cannot be compared, it is apparent that XUV700 packs in a broader range of and more advanced safety features.
Safety kit on-board XUV700 includes 7-airbags, electronic stability program, driver drowsiness detection and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) like front collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist and smart pilot assist. Other cars with highest overall score include XUV300 (53.86), Thar (53.63) and Tigor EV (49.24).
At the other end of the spectrum, there are cars that have received 0-star rating in Global NCAP tests. In terms of overall score, the list of potentially unsafe cars as per GNCAP includes the likes of Maruti S-Presso, Datsun Go, Mahindra Scorpio, Maruti Alto, Renault Kwid, Hyundai Santro, Hyundai NIOS, Kia Seltos, WagorR and Swift. It reveals that there’s still a lot that needs to be done to ensure safety of car users.
