Global NCAP safety ratings: Top 5 safest cars in India

Global NCAP, the independent certification body that evaluates the safety of cars has now begun actively participating in the Indian car market. Automotive safety has been largely neglected as a part of federal regulation in the Indian subcontinent with a stark majority of cars sold in India not being anywhere close to the global safety standards. But still, there are some unicorns in the Indian market, that strive to go that extra mile and build safe cars for us and we made a list of the top five cars on the safety chart as of today.

1. Tata Nexon

This latest SUV from Tata has been making all the right noises in the recent past. Right from taking the battle to the competition, this compact SUV is also gaining traction in the enthusiast circles. And now, it is the highest rated Indian car on the safety index. Global NCAP rates it with four stars.

2. Toyota Etios

When Toyota developed the Etios platform for the emerging markets, there were always a few rumours in the wind when it came to its safety. Now with a four-star rating from GNCAP, the Etios and hence, its twin, the Liva, feature in the list of the only cars with a 4-star rating in India.

3. Tata Zest

Well, the Tata Zest has almost been phased out of the Indian market but the compact sedan makes it to the top-three list of the safest cars in India. The Zest marked the beginning of Tata 2.0 in India when the rickety car maker went in for an image transformation that served as the base for the success of the Tiago and the Nexon.

4. Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen might be under the weather for a few things, but automotive safety isn’t one of them. The German car maker has a strict quality control program which ensures that all their global cars sail through the certifications. No wonder the Polo, their smallest car in India, got a 4-star rating.

5. Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza

Finally, we have a representative from the largest car seller in the country. Popular cars like the earlier-gen Swift didn’t fare too well on the NCAP index. So, with the new Heartect platform which is lighter than ever before, the new-gen Maruti cars would certainly instill confidence, especially with the kind of ratings awarded to the Vitara Brezza.

Bharat NCAP, the Indianised version of the Global NCAP will be implemented sometime in the next few years, thanks to the initiative taken up by the current NDA government. With Global NCAP helping the Indian government with the drafts, we hope to incorporate structural integrity as a primary driver of car safety rather than post-crash elements like airbags being used to gain safety ratings.