Muristek
Safety has taken some big steps forward in India since Global NCAP first commenced crash testing Indian cars. Over the years, new regulations have come into place making dual airbags and ABS mandatory, with more safety regulations expected to also be introduced in the future. Safety ratings, too, have improved from the dismal performance of 2014 with the first five star rated car arriving in 2018 and the number now up to five. We take a look at the 10 safest made-in-India cars currently in the market.
10. Tata Tiago/Tigor and Tigor EV – 4/5The facelift Tiago and Tigor get an identical 4-star rating as the Mahindra Thar – they too scored 12.52 points out of 17. The Tata siblings though drop below the Thar in the list, with just a 3-star child occupant safety rating – owing to the lack of ISOFIX anchorages – to the Thar’s four.
The standard models aside, Tata additionally also earned a 4-star safety rating for the updated Tigor EV – the first electric vehicle to be tested by Global NCAP. While lower than the standard model – 12 points as against 12.52 – the score is still commendable, given that the EV has to deal with the additional weight and mass of the underbody battery pack.
9. Mahindra Thar – 4/5Mahindra’s second-gen Thar isn’t just a capable off-roader but a safe one as well. The second-gen off-roader scores a notable four stars for both adult (12.52) and child occupant protection. Interestingly, the safety score also brought with it an update to the Thar range, with Mahindra reducing it to only the variants with forward facing rear seats. The SUV could previously be had with side facing jump seats in the second row.
In terms of safety, the Thar gets dual airbags, ABS, rear parking sensors and even a roll cage as standard, with the fully-loaded model also packing in ESP. Prices for the second-gen Thar start from Rs 13.18 lakh.
8. Toyota Urban Cruiser – 4/5 The Vitara Brezza-based compact SUV scored a solid four stars for adult protection, with 13.52 points out of a maximum 17. The bodyshell was rated 'stable' and capable of withstanding further loadings. However, the car recorded only marginal protection for driver's knees, and the passenger's right knee, as they could have an impact with structures behind the dashboard. For child protection, it scored a three-star rating securing 36.68 points out of 49. In the coming months, the Urban Cruiser is set to receive a major update, and it's likely that the crash testing rating score for the updated model could change. 7. Mahindra Marazzo – 4/5The first made-in-India MPV to gain a 4-star rating, the Mahindra Marazzo performed better than people carriers such as its closest competitor, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. The Marazzo MPV scored 12.85 out of 17 in adult safety and 22.22 out of 49 in child occupancy (two stars), thanks to safety kit such as dual front airbags, ABS, a driver’s side seat-belt reminder, front seat-belt pretensioners and ISOFIX anchorages for the rear seats standard across all variants. This score also means it is the safest MPV on sale in India. Prices currently range from Rs 12.80 lakh-15.01 lakh.
6. Honda Jazz – 4/5Honda’s Jazz was one of the latest vehicles to be tested and came away with a 4-star rating, with 13.89 points out of a possible 17. The report noted that the Jazz’s structure was stable and could withstand further loading, with adult occupants offered good to adequate levels of protection for the head and chest area. However, front occupant knee protection was rated as marginal,dueto potential impact with ‘dangerous structures behind the dashboard’.
Child occupant protection, meanwhile, was rated three stars due to the lack of ISOFIX mounting points and limited protection offered to child occupants. The rating also makes the Jazz currently the second highest rated hatchback in global NCAP testing behind the 5-star rated Altroz.
5. Mahindra XUV700 – 5/5
The XUV700 was arguably Mahindra’s biggest launch of the calendar year, and while its impressive list of features has caught a lot of people’s attention, the companyhasn’t placed safety as secondary. The XUV700 is the only three-row SUV to get a full 5-star rating (16.03). Child occupant safety, too, is an impressive four stars.
Mahindra has packed in a lot of safety tech into the XUV700, and while lower variants get only the basics, the fully loaded variants get all the bells and whistles, including seven airbags and advanced driver aids like autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and more. Prices for the XUV700 range from Rs 12.96 lakh-23.78 lakh.
4. Tata Nexon – 5/5The Nexon holds the distinction of being the first made-in-India car to be awarded a full 5-star safety rating by global NCAP. Tata’s compact SUV was initially awarded a 4-star rating, with the carmaker upgrading the model post the results and sending it back for a second round where it achieved all five stars (16.06/17). The Nexon’s child-occupancy rating is three stars (25/49). The point to note is that this was the pre-facelift model that walked away with the rating, with the model currently on sale further upgraded to meet pedestrian protection norms.
All variants of the Tata Nexon come with two airbags, ABS and ISOFIX child-seat mounts as standard.
3. Tata Altroz – 5/5Currently the safest made-in-India hatchback on sale in the market, the Altroz is Tata’s second 5-star rated model in the listing, scoring 16.13 out of 17 points for adult occupant protection. Interestingly, while based on the same platform as the Punch, the hatch didn’t score as well as the latter on child occupant protection, securing three stars (29/49) as the backrest of the rear seat unlatched in the test and the three-year-old dummy’s head made contact with the interior.
Standard safety kit across the Altroz range includes two airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, seat-belt reminders for the front seats and ISOFIX child-seat mounts. Higher variants add kit such as height-adjustable front seat belts, a rear parking camera, and front and rear fog lamps.
2. Mahindra XUV300 – 5/5Mahindra’s sub-4m SUV also gets a 5-star rating for adult occupancy, though its score of 16.42 sees it dropping one place in the listing. The SUV also scores four stars for child occupant protection, scoring 37.44/49. Like the other models on this listing, the XUV300 packs in standard kit such as two airbags, ABS with EBD, rear disc brakes, ISOFIX child-seat mounts, seat belt reminders and rear parking sensors. Higher-spec variant add in even more safety kit, with six airbags, front parking sensors, electronic stability programme, front and rear fog lamps, a tyre pressure monitoring system and a rear parking camera. Updates post the XUV’s launch, though, have seen bits such as the rear centre three-point seat belt and a driver knee airbag being dropped from the equipment list.
1. Tata Punch – 5/5Tata has delivered on its word that safety was a priority with the Punch. The carmaker’s third 5-star rated car in recent years, the Punch marginally edges out the XUV300 to top the list with 16.45 points for adult occupant protection. The Punch also scores well for child occupant protection with a 4-star rating.
As standard, the Punch gets all the basic safety systems, including dual airbags, ABS, front seat belt reminders, rear parking sensors and ISOFIX child seat anchors. The fully-loaded variants add to this with bits such as auto headlamp and wipers, while AMT variants get a low-traction mode to aid over slippery surfaces.
Do let us know which of these cars is your favourite in the comments section below.