The headline is pretty self-explanatory so we need not do a little fanfare or leading forward to get you to the heart of the story. Our main criterion here is that the fully loaded model should be priced under Rs. 10 lakh (ex-showroom). What is our pick for safety criteria here? Everything that’s listed in our car comparison tool on the website.
The Hyundai Grand i10 Nios in its fully-loaded AT and MT variants now gets six airbags as standard across the range. It also gets a three-point seatbelt for the rear-centre occupant, TPMS and seatbelt warning, as well as an ISOFIX child-seat mounting point. In the last test, it was subject to, the Grand i10 Nios scored two stars on the GNCAP, however, this is expected to change as the car now gets six airbags.
The next addition to the list of safest cars under Rs. 10 lakh in India is the French automaker’s sub-4 MPV in its top-spec RXZ AMT guise and it has a decent kit. The top version of the Triber gets four airbags and a four-star safety rating in the GNCAP crash test. It also has TPMS but does not get ISOFIX child seat mounting points or a three-point seatbelt for the middle-rear occupants or the third-row occupants.
The Citroen C3 is one of few cars on this list that has not been subjected to a GNCAP crash test. As a part of its safety suite, it is offered with dual front airbags, TPMS, child seat mounting points, and seatbelt warning but no three-point seatbelt for middle rear occupants.
Tata Tiago and Tigor
The Tata Tiago and Tigor scored four-star safety ratings in the GNCAP crash tests. Both these Tata cars get dual front airbags, TPMS, and a seatbelt warning alert. However, for both cars, there are no rear three-point seatbelts for middle occupants or ISOFIX child seat mounting points.
Maruti’s most popular badge will get a new generation next year but for now, the current car has been on sale since 2018. It may not be the safest car in India but has scored two stars in the last round of GNCAP crash tests and has a safety suite as expected in this segment. This list includes dual front airbags and a seatbelt warning. There is no middle seatbelt for the rear row or tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).