Maruti Suzuki Victoris bags 5-star Global NCAP safety rating

The Maruti Suzuki Victoris being crash tested at Global NCAP.

Maruti Suzuki India's new mid-size SUV, the Victoris, has secured a 5-star safety rating at the Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP). This makes it the company's second consecutive top safety result after it had achieved a 5-star rating under Bharat NCAP earlier.

The Victoris scored 33.72 out of 34 points in adult occupant protection and 41 out of 49 points in child occupant protection, earning the highest safety grade.

In the frontal offset crash test, the Victoris performed strongly. The driver and passenger's head and neck protection were rated 'good'. The driver's chest protection was 'adequate', while the passenger's chest scored 'good'. Protection for knees and tibias was also found to be good, with the footwell area and bodyshell rated as 'stable'.

During the side impact test, the SUV offered good protection to the head, abdomen, and pelvis, while chest protection was rated adequate. In the side pole impact test, protection for the head, chest, abdomen, and pelvis was recorded as good.

The crash test used child seats for 18-month and 3-year-old dummies, both installed rearward-facing with ISOFIX anchorages and support legs. The setup provided full protection in both frontal and side impacts. The Victoris also comes with three-point seatbelts for all seating positions as standard.

While the SUV does not allow disconnection of the passenger airbag for installing a rearward-facing child seat in the front, the installation tests for different CRS (child restraint systems) passed in all positions.

The Victoris is equipped with a wide list of safety systems. Standard features include six airbags, ISOFIX child seat mounts, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), seatbelt reminders for all seats, and pedestrian protection that meets UN127 regulations. Advanced driver assist systems like autonomous emergency braking (AEB) for city and inter-urban conditions, lane assist, and speed assist are also offered.

Global NCAP noted that the SUV's structure remained stable and capable of withstanding further loadings. Combined with its performance under Bharat NCAP, this makes the Victoris one of Maruti's safest cars yet.

The 5-star score comes at a time when Indian buyers are increasingly placing safety alongside price and mileage while deciding on new cars. The Victoris' performance is also significant as it competes with models like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, where safety ratings are becoming an important comparison factor.