Every Car Tested By Bharat NCAP

The Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP), launched in August 2023 by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, has emerged as a pivotal initiative for enhancing vehicle safety in India. 

Through rigorous crash tests, including frontal offset deformable barrier tests at 64 km/h, side movable deformable barrier tests at 50 km/h, optional side pole impacts, and child restraint assessments, it assigns star ratings from 0 to 5 for adult occupant protection (AOP, out of 32 points) and child occupant protection (COP, out of 49 points).

 Higher scores indicate superior safety, with 5 stars requiring a minimum of 27 points in AOP and 41 in COP. 

These is no such thing as a safe car. Drive recklessly and even the 5 star rated cars will not be able to protect you. But testing done by institutions like BNCAP does add a peace of mind factor which is better than nothing. Here is every car tested by our very own BNCAP.   

Most vehicles have secured 5-star ratings, showcasing advancements in safety features such as multiple airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), and robust body shells. 

Citroen Basalt (4-Stars)

The Citroen Basalt achieved 4 stars each for adult occupant protection (26.19/32) and child occupant protection (35.90/49). In the frontal offset test, its bodyshell remained stable, offering good protection to most body regions, but the driver’s chest and legs received only marginal to adequate protection. Side impacts provided good protection for the head and pelvis, but were adequate for the chest and abdomen, and the side pole impact was satisfactory. 

For child safety, dynamic tests showed good protection for the 18-month-old dummy, but the 3-year-old faced marginal head exposure risks. Child restraint installation scored moderately, and the absence of ISOFIX anchors in the front passenger seat lowered the vehicle assessment score. These factors, including marginal driver chest protection, child head exposure, and restraint limitations, prevented a 5-star rating.

Hyundai Tucson (5-Stars)

The Hyundai Tucson earned a commendable 5-star rating for both adult occupant protection (30.84/32) and child occupant protection (41.00/49). Its frontal impact test demonstrated good protection across most body regions, though the driver’s chest and feet received adequate rather than good ratings. Side and pole impacts were consistently good, reflecting a robust structure and effective side airbags. 

For child safety, dynamic tests achieved full marks for both 3-year-old and 18-month-old dummies, complemented by strong scores in child restraint system compatibility. 

Kia Syros (5-Stars)

The Kia Syros secured 5-star ratings in both adult occupant protection (30.21/32) and child occupant protection (44.42/49), showcasing its safety prowess. In the frontal offset test, it provided good protection to most areas, but the driver’s chest, lower legs, and the passenger’s right lower leg were rated adequate, leading to some loss in points. Side impacts were uniformly good, supported by a stable bodyshell and standard safety features like six airbags. 

Mahindra BE 6 (5-Stars)

The Mahindra BE 6 achieved an impressive 5-star rating for adult occupant protection (31.97/32) and child occupant protection (45.00/49). Its bodyshell demonstrated excellent stability in frontal and side impact tests, offering good protection across most body regions, except the driver’s lower right leg, preventing it from achieving a perfect AOP score. 

Side impacts were robust, and child safety tests were outstanding. The BE 6’s near-perfect scores highlight Mahindra’s engineering excellence, with only a minor frontal impact deduction preventing a flawless AOP result.

Mahindra Thar Roxx (5-Stars)

The Mahindra Thar Roxx secured 5-star ratings for adult occupant protection (31.09/32) and child occupant protection (45/49). Its frontal and side impact tests showed good protection across body regions, except the driver’s chest and lower legs, which showed adequate protection. 

Child safety was exceptional, with excellent dynamic test results and full compatibility for restraint systems.

Mahindra XEV 9e (5-Stars)

The Mahindra XEV 9e stands out as the first vehicle to achieve a perfect 5-star rating for adult occupant protection (32/32) with a 5-star rating for child occupant protection (45/49). Its electric vehicle architecture enhanced bodyshell integrity, delivering good protection across all frontal, side, and pole impact tests. 

Child safety tests were strong, with excellent dynamic performance and high vehicle assessment scores, though minor deductions occurred due to non-universal child restraint installations. The XEV 9e’s flawless AOP score and near-perfect COP result position it as a benchmark for safety in India’s EV market.

Mahindra XUV3XO (5-Stars)

The Mahindra XUV3XO earned 5-star ratings for adult occupant protection (29.36/32) and child occupant protection (43.00/49). Its frontal impact test provided good protection to most areas, but the driver’s chest and lower legs were rated adequate, with the left lower leg receiving only marginal protection. Side impacts were strong, supported by six airbags and ESC. 

Child safety tests were robust, though limited restraint system options cost some points. The XUV3XO’s performance reflects Mahindra’s consistent safety focus, with frontal chest protection and restraint compatibility as areas for minor improvement.

Mahindra XUV400 (5-Stars)

The Mahindra XUV400 secured 5-star ratings for adult occupant protection (30.38/32) and child occupant protection (43.00/49). Its stable structure ensured good protection in frontal and side impacts, though adequate ratings for the driver’s chest and legs in the frontal test resulted in some points deduction. Child safety was solid, with strong dynamic test results and good restraint compatibility. 

Maruti Suzuki Baleno (4-Stars)

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno achieved a 4-star rating for adult occupant protection (26.52/32) and a 4-star rating for child occupant protection (34.81/49). The frontal crash tests showed marginal protection for the chest, abdomen, and thighs, and adequate protection for the lower legs of the driver. The front passenger receives adequate protection, with only the heads of both the driver and passenger getting good protection. Adequate protection was seen for the front passengers’ chest and lower back as well in the deformable barrier test, but both got good protection for the entire upper body in the side pole impact test.

Child safety tests revealed maximum protection for both dummies in the side impact tests. A worrying level of protection was seen for 3-year-olds in the front impact test, but with a good level of protection for the 18-month old child. 

Maruti Suzuki Dzire (5-Stars)

The Maruti Suzuki Dzire earned 5-star ratings for adult occupant protection (29.46/32) and child occupant protection (41.57/49). Equipped with six airbags as standard, it offered good protection for the driver’s head, thighs, and feet, but marginal and adequate protection to the chest and lower legs in the frontal test. 

Child safety was strong, with high scores in dynamic tests and restraint installation. The Dzire’s robust performance reflects Maruti’s safety improvements. 

Maruti Suzuki Victoris (5-Stars)

Maruti Suzuki’s next big launch, the Victoris, is the latest car to be tested by Bharat NCAP. It is Maruti’s second car to achieve 5-star ratings for adult occupant protection (31.66/32) and child occupant protection (43/49). It got a near-perfect score in the frontal impact test, with the maximum side impact test scores, offering good protection across all regions and an acceptable pole impact performance. 

Child safety tests were strong, but the vehicle assessment scored 7/13 due to ISOFIX limitations or labeling issues. 

Skoda Kylaq (5-Stars)

The Skoda Kylaq secured 5-star ratings for adult occupant protection (30.88/32) and child occupant protection (45/49). Its frontal and side impact tests showed good or adequate protection, with a stable bodyshell ensuring high safety levels. It narrowly misses out on a maximum AOP score due to adequate protection to the driver’s chest and left lower leg. 

Child safety was exceptional, with excellent dynamic test results and near-perfect restraint compatibility. The Kylaq’s strong performance underscores Skoda’s safety focus, with only slight frontal impact weaknesses noted.

Tata Curvv (5-Stars)

The Tata Curvv earned 5-star ratings for adult occupant protection (29.50/32) and child occupant protection (43.66/49). Its frontal impact test provided good protection to most of the body of the driver and passenger, except the lower legs, which received adequate to marginal protection. The driver’s chest protection was rated adequate in the side barrier impact test. 

Tata Harrier/Safari (5-Stars)

The Tata Harrier achieved 5-star ratings for adult occupant protection (30.08/32) and child occupant protection (44.54/49). Its stable structure ensured good protection in both side impact tests, though marginal and adequate protection was observed for the driver’s chest and lower right leg in the frontal test. 

Child safety was excellent, with strong dynamic test results and high restraint scores. 

Tata Harrier EV (5-Stars)

The Tata Harrier EV secured a perfect 5-star rating for adult occupant protection (32/32) and a 5-star rating for child occupant protection (45/49). Its electric vehicle structure enhanced safety, delivering good protection across all frontal, side, and pole impact tests. 

Child safety tests were outstanding, with full marks in dynamic performance, though the vehicle assessment scored 9/13, costing about 4 points due to restraint system limitations. The Harrier EV’s flawless AOP score positions it as a safety benchmark in the EV segment.

Tata Nexon (5-Stars)

The Tata Nexon earned 5-star ratings for adult occupant protection (29.41/32) and child occupant protection (43.83/49). Equipped with standard six airbags, it provided good protection overall, though the driver’s chest and lower legs were rated adequate in the frontal and side barrier test. 

Child safety tests were strong, with high scores in dynamic performance and restraint compatibility. 

Tata Nexon EV (5-Stars)

The Tata Nexon EV, tested across all its battery pack variants, secured 5-star ratings for adult occupant protection (29.86/32) and child occupant protection (44.95/49). Its frontal and side impact tests showed good protection, with adequate ratings for the driver’s chest and lower legs in the frontal and side barrier tests. 

Side pole impact ratings were good, and child safety tests were exceptional, with near-perfect scores in dynamic performance and restraint compatibility. it also recently got L2 ADAS options.

Tata Punch EV (5-Stars)

The Tata Punch EV achieved 5-star ratings for adult occupant protection (31.46/32) and child occupant protection (45/49). Its high structural integrity ensured good protection overall in frontal and side impacts, with some points deducted due to only adequate passenger chest protection and driver’s lower leg protection in the frontal test. 

Toyota Innova Hycross (5-Stars)

The Toyota Innova Hycross, tested in both petrol and hybrid variants, earned 5-star ratings for adult occupant protection (30.47/32) and child occupant protection (45/49). Its frontal impact test showed good protection, though the driver’s chest, left leg, and passenger’s chest were rated adequate. Side and pole impact protections were rated as good, supported by a stable body shell and six airbags. 

Child safety tests achieved full marks in dynamic performance, with high scores in restraint compatibility. 

How is Bharat NCAP safety test conducted?

Bharat NCAP (BNCAP) follows protocols similar to Global NCAP. The most common is the frontal offset crash test, where a car is driven at 64 kmph into a deformable barrier covering 40 percent of the car’s front width. 

This simulates a real-world head-on crash between two vehicles of similar size. Side impact tests use a moving deformable barrier at 50 kmph to check how the car protects passengers from a side collision. Crash test dummies, packed with sensors, record head, chest, knee, and leg injuries during impact.

 Cars are then scored on adult and child occupant protection, as well as safety assist features like seatbelt reminders, ABS, and airbags.

Do safety crash ratings matter in the real world?

Yes, they matter significantly. A 5-star rated car usually has a stronger body shell, proper crumple zones, and effective restraint systems (seatbelts + airbags). These elements reduce the force transmitted to passengers in a crash.

 In countries like India, where road accidents are frequent and emergency response can be slow, the car’s ability to protect its occupants is often the difference between minor injuries and fatalities. While ratings cannot predict every outcome, statistics show cars with higher safety scores consistently have better survival rates in real crashes.

Why are tests conducted at 64 kmph when speed limits are 120 kmph?

The 64 kmph crash speed may seem low, but physics explains why it’s chosen. Most fatal urban and highway crashes involve closing speeds between 50–70 kmph. In higher-speed collisions (like 100–120 kmph), the crash energy multiplies exponentially, and even the safest cars struggle to guarantee survival.

 The chosen speed allows engineers to replicate the most common and survivable scenarios while maintaining a consistent benchmark for comparing cars. Simply put, the test is designed around realistic survivability, not extreme cases where no vehicle can ensure complete safety.

What can I do to increase my vehicle’s safety if my car doesn’t have a crash rating?

Even without a formal rating, you can improve safety by focusing on both the car and your driving. 

First, ensure seatbelts are always used by every occupant and that airbags, ABS, and ESC (if available) are functional. 

Tyres with proper tread depth and correct air pressure drastically improve braking and stability. Regular servicing keeps brakes and suspension reliable. 

You can also add safety accessories like rear parking sensors, a dashcam, and tyre pressure monitoring systems.