Safety is a key consideration for many Indian car buyers, especially those purchasing family vehicles. Safe cars provide better protection for occupants and can reduce risks to other road users, particularly through pedestrian safety features. The Indian car industry has made notable progress in safety standards, with the government now requiring certain safety features in all vehicles. As awareness grows, buyers are increasingly prioritising safety when choosing cars. In this article, let’s take a look at the eight safest cars and SUVs under Rs 10 lakh.
Maruti Suzuki Dzire
The first car on the list is the new Maruti Suzuki Dzire with 5-star safety rating in adult occupant protection and a 4-star safety rating for child occupant protection. The fourth-generation Dzire is the first Maruti ever to have scored a 5-star rating from Global NCAP. The Dzire secured a score of 31.24 points out of 34 in adult occupant protection and in child occupant protection, the Dzire secured 39.20 points out of 42. As per GNCAP, in adult occupancy ,the protection for the driver’s and passenger’s head and neck was rated as good. In contrast, the driver’s chest received marginal protection and the passenger’s chest had adequate protection. Both the driver’s and passenger’s knees were well-protected. The bodyshell and footwell areas were rated stable, with the bodyshell able to withstand additional loads.
In Child occupancy, the Maruti Dzire scored 39.20 out of 42 points. The report noted that the 3-year-old child seat, installed forward-facing with ISOFIX anchorages, prevented excessive forward movement in a frontal impact, offering full protection to the head and chest, though limited protection to the neck. The 18-month-old child seat, installed rearward-facing with ISOFIX, fully protected the head during a frontal impact. Bot3h child restraint systems (CRS) provided full protection during the crash, with successful installation in all positions.
Tata Punch/Punch EV
Next set of cars on the list is Tata Punch and Punch EV tested by GNCAP and BNCAP respectively. Tata Motors has ensured that even this micro-SUV meets higher safety standards. The Tata Punch has scored a 5-star rating in the Adult protection category, it scored an impressive 16.45 out of the maximum 17 points. The vehicle also impressed in the Child protection category with a 4-star rating of 40.89 out of the maximum 49 points.
The Punch EV has been tested by Bharat NCAP and has scored a 5-star rating in the Bharat NCAP crash test for adult occupant protection (AOP) and child occupant protection (COP). The Punch EV scored 31.46 out of 32 for Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) in the BNCAP tests, achieving 14.26/16 in the frontal offset deformable barrier test and 15.6/16 in the side movable deformable barrier test. The SUV provided good to adequate protection for crash test dummies in both tests. In the Child Occupant Protection (COP) tests, the Punch EV earned 45 out of 49 points, with 23.95/24 in dynamic tests, a perfect 12/12 in the Child Restraint System (CRS) segment, and 9/13 in vehicle assessment.
Mahindra XUV 3XO
Third car on the list is Mahindra XUV 3XO. The sub-compact SUV has garnered five-star ratings for both adult occupant and child occupant protection at the Bharat NCAP crash test. The 3XO scored 29.36 points out of 32 in the Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) test, while in the Child Occupant Protection (COP), it scored 43 points out of 49. In terms of safety, all variants get 6 airbags, rear disc brakes, ESP, and ISOFIX anchors as standard across all variants Higher-spec versions get an electronic parking brake with auto-hold, hill-start and hill descent assist, a 360-degree camera, blind spot monitor and Level 2 ADAS which is a segment-first.
Tata Nexon and Nexon EV facelift
Another set of Tata Motors cars on the list is Tata Nexon and Nexon EV facelift. The Nexon ICE has been crash tested by GNCAP whereas the Nexon EV has been crash tested by Bharat NCAP. The new Tata Nexon facelift has received 32.22 points out of 34 and 44.52 points out of 49, for adult and child occupancy protection, respectively. GNCAP says that in the front impact, the Nexon facelift offered good protection to the head and neck. Driver’s and passenger’s chest showed adequate protection while knees showed good protection. The Footwell area was rated as stable and the body’s heel was rated stable and it is capable of withstanding further loadings. In child occupancy protection, 3-year-old and 18-month-old dummies were placed. GNCAP said that the Nexon provided almost full protection in the front impact tests, and offer full side impact protection.
The Nexon EV as per Bharat NCAP has scored full five stars in both adult and child occupancy. In adult occupant crash test, the Nexon EV scored 29.86 out of the possible 32 points. The Nexon EV provided ‘good’ protection to the head and neck of both the driver and passenger. However, the driver’s chest protection was rated as adequate, while the passenger’s chest protection received a ‘good’ rating. In child occupant protection, the SUV has scored 44.95 points in 49 points. The Nexon EV scored 11.95 out of 12 for an 18-month-old child and a perfect 12 points for a 3-year-old child.
Tata Curvv ICE
Next on the list is Tata Curvv ICE with five star rating from BNCAP. The Tata Curvv scored 29.50 out of 32 for Adult Occupant Protection (AOP). In the frontal offset deformable barrier test, it earned 14.65 out of 16, while in the side movable deformable barrier test, the SUV scored 14.85 out of 16. For Child Occupant Protection (COP), the Curvv received 43.66 out of 49 points. It achieved 22.66 out of 24 in dynamic tests, a perfect 12 out of 12 in the Child Restraint System (CRS) installation score, and 9 out of 13 in vehicle assessment. These ratings apply to the entire internal combustion engine (ICE) line-up of the Tata Curvv.
Tata Altroz
Last car on the list is the Tata Altroz hatchback. The Tata Altroz has scored a 5-star rating in the Adult protection category by GNCAP, it scored an impressive 16.13 out of the maximum 17 points. The Altroz didn’t score as well on child occupant protection, securing three stars (29/49). Safety features include two airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, rear camera, seat-belt reminders for the front seats and Isofix child-seat mounts.
