Ten of the safest cars in 2023 according to the Global NCAP
Now, more than ever, safety is on everyone’s checklist when buying a new vehicle and Indian manufacturers have been trying their hardest to satisfy their customers.
With safety becoming an ever-increasing priority among car buyers, manufacturers have been scrambling to add the latest in protection tech to all of their cars. Bharat NCAP has just been implemented and it will take a while before we get to see all of the Indian cars tested under this rating. For now, however, here are 10 of the safest cars according to the Global New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) crash tests. One thing to note here is that the NCAP ratings were adjusted last year and of course, not all the cars have been tested under the new system. Because of this the points may differ depending on when the vehicle was tested.
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Tata Safari/Harrier: We start off with the manufacturer that has the most five stars under its belt so far. Both the Harrier and Safari have been tested and have received identical scores as the only difference between the two are the longer rear section on the Safari and minor exterior differences that distinguish the two cars. The Safari and the Harrier were tested under the new Global NCAP ratings system scoring a 33.05 points out of a total of 34 points for adult occupant safety. Even child occupant safety was rated at a very high 45 points out of 49 giving it five stars on both fronts. Both cars showcased adequate protection to the driver’s chest and both tibias and adequate protection for the front passenger’s chest. Every other impact point has been rated for good protection. Even the side impact test showed good protection all over. The Harrier and Safari come with a number of safety features as standard front and side airbags, seatbelt reminders, ISOFIX for child seats, and a number of optional extras including ADAS. Both SUVs are powered by the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder Kryotec engine that produces 170 hp of maximum power and 350 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual shifter and a 6-speed torque convertor automatic.
3/11
Tata Altroz: The Tata Altroz scored 16.13 points out of a maximum of 17 giving five stars for adult safety. For child occupancy, the Altroz scores a lower 29 points out of 49 but still a modest three stars. At a crash speed test of 64 km/h, the Altroz’s body shell remained stable and both the driver and passenger had adequate protection for the chest and tibias. The model tested comes equipped with dual front airbags, four-channel ABS, seatbelt pretensioners and ISOFIX child seat anchors. Other safety equipment on the Tata Altroz includes electronic brake-force distribution, reverse camera and rear sensors, voice alerts for seat belts and open doors as well as a tyre pressure monitoring system. As for the powertrain options, the Altroz gets a choice of three engine options -- the 1.2-litre petrol that can churn out 86 hp of power at 6,000 rpm and 113 Nm of torque at 3,300 rpm, a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel that produces 90 hp of power at 4,000 rpm and 200 Nm of torque between 1,250 and 3,000 rpm, and finally, a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine that pumps out 110 hp of maximum power at 5,500 rpm and 140 Nm of peak torque between 1,500 and 5,500 rpm. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Prices for the Tata Altroz start at Rs 6.29 lakh, ex-showroom.
4/11
Tata Nexon: Next up is the Tata Nexon with an adult occupant safety rating of five stars with 16.06 points. As for child safety, the mini SUV scores three stars with 25 points out of the 49-point maximum. Again, the body shell remained stable in its 64 km/h crash test and both the driver and the passenger received adequate protection in the chest and the tibias. The model tested had dual front airbags, ISOFIX anchors, seatbelt pretensioners and four-channel ABS. The top-spec variants of the Nexon, however, also get a full suite of electronic stability programmes like traction control, roll-over mitigation, hill hold and emergency brake assist along with the iRA-connected car tech which adds a crash alert and diagnostics report. Powering the Tata Nexon is a choice between a petrol and a diesel engine, both turbocharged. The 1.2-litre petrol is capable of producing 120 hp of power at 5,500 rpm and 170 Nm of torque between 1,750 and 4,000 rpm. The 1.5-litre diesel produces 110 hp of power at 4,000 rpm and 260 Nm of torque between 1,500 and 2,750 rpm. Transmission options include both a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed AMT automatic gearbox. Prices for the Tata Nexon start at Rs 7.60 lakh, ex-showroom.
Tata Punch: The Tata Punch comes with two airbags and scored a total of five stars for adult occupancy and four stars for child safety. The model that was tested came standard with two airbags, seatbelt tensioners, ISOFIX anchors for children, and ABS. According to the Global NCAP ratings, the Punch scored 16.45 points out of a total of 17 for adults and 40.89 points out of a total of 49 for children. The car was crash tested at 64 km/h and the body shell was rated as stable. The Tata Punch’s top-spec Creative variant comes with a number of safety features including auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, reverse parking camera, four-channel ABS with EBD, traction control on the automatic variant and brake sway control. Then there is the iRA connected car tech from Tata Motors and together, this adds about 27 safety features to the micro SUV. The Punch is powered by a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine that produces 86 hp of power and 113 Nm of peak torque. This can be mated to either a 5-speed manual or an AMT gearbox. Mileage figures according to ARAI stand at 18.97 km/l for the manual version and 18.82 km/l for the automatic. Prices for the Punch start at Rs 5.93 lakh.
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Hyundai Verna: The Hyundai Verna comes in with a score of 28.18 out of 34 which, while on the lower end, still affords it five stars in adult occupant safety. The child occupant safety on the other hand sits fairly high at 42 points out of 49. The crash test dummy data shows that while the passenger’s chest and head have been well protected, only the driver’s head gets good protection. The driver’s tibias showcased adequate protection while the knees and chest showcased marginal protection. In a side impact, the driver’s chest showcased adequate protection while the head, pelvis and abdomen showcased good protection. Comments from the frontal impact also state that the bodyshell was rated as unstable and unable to withstand further loadings. The Verna does get a good number of safety features as standard such as airbags all around, ISOFIX anchors for child seats, and seat belt reminders for all seats. ESC is also standard. The Hyundai Verna gets to petrol powertrain options. A 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine produces 115 hp of maximum power and 143.8 Nm of torque, and comes mated to either a 6-speed manual or intelligent variable transmission (IVT) gearbox. The 1.5-litre turbo-petrol on the other hand produces 160 hp and 253 Nm and is mated to either a 6-speed manual shifter or a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).
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Volkswagen Virtus/Skoda Slavia: Next we have the Volkswagenn-Skoda combo. Volkswagen and Skoda share their platforms and this is true for the Virtus and Slavia sedans as well as the Taigun and Kushaq that comes next on the list. The Virtus and Slavia have both scored 29.71 points out of 34 in adult occupant safety and 42 out of 49 points for child occupant safety. According to the frontal impact test, the bodyshell was rated as stable and capable of withstanding further loadings. Inside, the driver and passenger crash test dummy data displayed good protection for the head and knees and adequate protection for the chest. The side impact test suffers slightly as there is good protection only to the pelvis but adequate protection to the head, chest and abdomen. The Virtus and Slavia that was tested had only the standard fitment of safety features which include only the front airbags while the curtain airbags are an optional extra. The Virtus and Slavia are powered by two petrol options. The 1-litre turbo-petrol is capable of producing 115 hp and 178 Nm and comes mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. the 1.5-litre turbo on the other hand produces 150 hp of maximum power and 250 Nm of peak torque and comes mated to either the 6-speed shifter or a 7-speed DSG transmission.
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Volkswagen Taigun/Skoda Kushaq: The Taigun and Kushaq share similar points as their sedan siblings scoring 29.64 points for adult occupant safety and 42 points for child occupant safety. According to the report, the passenger side dummy displayed good protection all over. Over on the driver’s side, however, there was good protection for the head and knees while the chest, right tibia and feet displayed adequate protection. the side impact test showcased good protection to the head, abdomen and pelvis but only marginal protection to the chest area. Like the Virtus and Slavia, the Taigun and Kushaq’s bodyshell remained stable and was rated to be able to withstand further loadings. Powering the Taigun and the Kushaq are the same powertrain options as the sedans. A 1-litre turbo-petrol producing 115 hp and 178 Nm and a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol generating 150 hp and 250 Nm. Transmission options also remain identical with a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed automatic and a 7-speed DSG gearbox.
Mahindra XUV700: The Mahindra XUV700 gets five stars in adult occupancy, but its score of 16.03 points out of 17 is just a bit shy of the Tata Altroz; the XUV700 also scores 41.66 points out of 49 when it comes to child safety earning it a four-star rating. The model of the XUV700 that was tested comes with dual airbags; however, the top-spec variant comes with seven airbags including curtain airbags and for the driver’s knees. According to the rating agency, the XUV700 was tested at 64 km/h and its body shell remained stable with the ability to withstand further loadings. Overall driver and passenger safety remained good with adequate protection to the tibias. The top-spec XUV700 comes with a number of safety tech including ADAS, i.e., Advanced Driver Assistance System. This system gives it autonomous abilities such as automatic emergency braking, front collision warning, lane keep assist, smart pilot assist, and driver drowsiness detection, among others. The Mahindra XUV700 is powered by either a petrol or diesel engine. The 2-litre turbo-petrol produces 197 hp of power and 380 Nm of torque. The 2.2-litre diesel, however, comes in two states of tune. One produces 152 hp of power and 360 Nm of torque. The higher tuned diesel churns out 182 hp of maximum power and 420 Nm of torque when mated to a manual transmission and 450 Nm of torque when mated to the automatic. Speaking of transmission options, the SUV is available with a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic gearbox option. Prices for the Mahindra XUV700 start at Rs 13.18 lakh, ex-showroom.
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Mahindra XUV300: We have the Mahindra XUV300, Mahindra’s version of its entry-level SUV. Scoring 16.42 points out of 17 for adult safety occupancy, the XUV300 also gets a rating of five stars. It also scores 37.44 points out of 49 for child safety, earning it four stars. The model of the XUV300 that was tested had two front airbags and was crash tested at a speed of 64 km/h. According to the rating agency, the body shell remained stable with the front passenger getting good overall protection. 'The driver sees adequate protection in the chest and tibia region'. The top-spec XUV300, too, comes with a fair number of safety equipment including ABS with EBD, front fog lamps, seatbelt pretensioners, rear parking sensors and reverse camera, auto-dimming IRVM, auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, hill start assist and corner braking control, among a long list. The XUV300 comes with a choice of a petrol or diesel engine. The 1.2-litre turbo-petrol is capable of producing 108 hp of maximum power at 5,000 rpm and 200 Nm of peak torque between 2,000 and 3,500 rpm. The 1.5-litre turbo-diesel, on the other hand, produces 115 hp of maximum power at 3,750 rpm and 300 Nm between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm. Both engines receive an option of a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed AutoSHIFT transmission. Prices for the Mahindra XUV300 start at Rs 8.41 lakh.
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Mahindra Scorpio-N: Now, while the Mahindra Scorpio-N does get a total of five stars in adult occupant safety, its total score of 29.25 out of 34 may seem lower than the XUV700 or the XUV300, at least proportionally. The dummies displayed good protection to the head and knees for both the driver and passenger but also only adequate protection to the chest in both cases. In a side impact test, however, protection was rated as good all around. Further the bodyshell was rated as stable with capability to withstand further loadings. Standard equipment includes front airbags, but curtain airbags are an optional extra. ISOFIX is a standard feature, too. Child occupant safety rating was reported at three stars with a total of 28.93 points out of a maximum of 49. The Mahindra Scorpio-N gets to powertrain options. The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol produces 203 hp of maximum power and 370 Nm of peak torque, while the 2.2-litre diesel generates 175 hp of maximum power and 370 Nm of peak torque. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic gearbox.
Stanford Masters Journalist who writes on automobiles
