16 Safest Cars In India Having Best Global NCAP Rating; All You Need To Know

With close to 3.8 million new car registrations in 2022, India’s automobile industry is currently valued at $116.86 billion. However, the fatality rate paints a bleak picture about the safety of daily commuters in the country. In fact, India accounts for about 6% of the total global road accidents. About 1,68,000 people lost their lives in road accidents in 2022, which majorly involved two-wheelers. Therefore, in order to address this burning issue, automobile manufacturers are offering airbags, ISOFIX mounts, sturdy structural integrity, driver assistance features and many more features as standard making the cars much more affordable. GNCAP which stands for Global New Car Assessment Programme is a tool that helps buyers in their decision making. In fact, it’s a benchmark that has been created to evaluate the crash-worthiness of the new vehicles built by automobile manufacturers. So here’s a look at top safest cars in India who have the best Global NCAP rating.

1. Tata Harrier (GNCAP Rating: 5 Stars)

Priced between ₹15.49 lakhs - ₹25.49 lakhs (Ex-Showroom), the facelifted version released this year is the safest SUV in the world, as it received 5-star safety rating from the Global New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP). Featuring an aggressive styling, the SUV scored 45 out of 49 points in the child occupant category while in the adult occupant category, it scored 33.05 points out of the maximum 34 points. In addition to this, Tata Harrier also features six airbags as standard along with a host of features including ISOFIX child seat mounts, an Electronic Stability program and much more.

2. Tata Safari (GNCAP Rating: 5 Stars)

Priced between ₹16.19 lakh- ₹25.49 lakh (Ex-Showroom), the design resembles Harrier. Featuring six airbags, ESP, traction control, ISOFIX child seat mounts, hill-hold assist, Safari scored an impressive 5-star rating in the Global NCAP crash tests by scoring 33.05 points out of the total of 34 points for the adult occupant category.

3. Volkswagen Virtus (GNCAP Rating: 5 Stars)

Scoring an impressive 5-star rating in the adult and child occupant categories with a score of 29.71 and 42 points, Virtus is one of the safest sedan cars in India. Priced between ₹11.48 lakh- ₹19.29 lakh (Ex-Showroom), it offers 6 airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), park distance control, rear-view camera, Hill Hold Assist, Multi-collision brakes among many.

4. Skoda Slavia (GNCAP Rating: 5 Stars)

Bagging 5 star-safety rating from the Global NCAP crash tests, Slavia comes with safety features like six airbags, ABS, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Electronic Stability Control among many. The premium mid-sized sedan scored 29.71 points and 42 points in adult and child occupant categories. It is priced between ₹10.89 lakhs - ₹19.12 lakh (Ex-Showroom).

5. Skoda Kushaq (GNCAP Rating: 5 Stars)

Scoring 5-star rating in both the adult and child occupant categories – 29.64 and 42, Kushaq is priced between ₹10.89 lakhs - ₹20 lakhs (Ex-Showroom) while offering array of features including six airbags, rollover protection, traction control, ABS, brake disc wiping, TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System).

6. Volkswagen Taigun (GNCAP Rating: 5 Stars)

Scoring an impressive 5-star safety rating from the Global NCAP crash tests, Taigun closely competes with Skoda Kushaq. Taigun is priced between ₹11.62 lakhs - ₹19.76 lakhs (Ex-Showroom).

7. Hyundai Verna (GNCAP Rating: 5 Stars)

With safety features including six airbags, hill-start assist, automatic headlamps, ISOFIX child seat mounts among many, Hyundai Verna is priced between ₹10.96 lakhs - ₹17.38 lakhs (Ex-Showroom). Displaying a revamped change to its exterior design, the car features an LED DRL bar at the front.

8. Mahindra Scorpio-N (GNCAP Rating: 5 Stars)

Ruling the streets for 2 decades, Scorpio-N is the revamped version of the iconic SUV that boasts of enhanced features and fresh look. Scoring a scintillating 5-star safety rating in the AOP category, it scored 5-star rating in Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) category. It is priced between ₹11.99 lakhs - ₹23.90 lakhs (Ex-Showroom).

9. Tata Punch (GNCAP Rating: 5 Stars)

Priced between ₹5.82 lakhs- ₹9.48 lakhs (Ex-Showroom), Tata Punch competes in the micro-SUV segment. It also features a premium hatchback segment with an SUV appeal. Scoring an impressive 16.45 out of 17 in the Adult Occupant Category (AOC) and 40.89 in the COP (child occupant) category, Tata Punch is one of the most sought after cars in the aspect of safety. It comes with two airbags, 4-channel ABS, ISOFIX anchorage for child occupant protection among many.

10. Mahindra XUV300 (GNCAP Rating: 5 Stars)

With a 5-star rating from GNCAP, Mahindra XUV300 is priced between ₹8.42 lakhs -

₹12.38 lakhs (Ex-Showroom). The SUV comes equipped with six airbags, Corner Braking Control, Hill-start assist among many.

11. Tata Altroz ( GNCAP Rating: 5 stars)

Priced between ₹6.20 lakhs - ₹10.15 lakhs (Ex-Showroom), Altroz is one of the safest cars in the country. Safety features include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX mounts, among others.

12. Tata Nexon (GNCAP Rating: 5 stars)

Receiving a 5-star rating from the Global NCAP, Tata Nexon is priced between ₹ 7.54 lakhs to ₹13.80 lakhs (Ex-Showroom). Featuring dual airbags at the front, ABS with EBD among many, Nexon is known as the safest car in India.

13. Mahindra XUV700 (GNCAP Rating: 5 stars)

Priced between ₹13.18 lakhs - ₹24.58 lakhs (Ex-Showroom), the SUV scored 5-star rating for AOP with a score of 16.03 and a 4-star rating in the COP category with 41.66 out of 49 points. Featuring 7 airbags, Driver drowsiness system and Forward Collision Warning among many, it offers sound protection to the driver and passenger’s head, neck, chest and knees.

14. Tata Tigor (GNCAP rating: 4 stars)

Priced between ₹5.97 lakhs - ₹8.56 lakhs (Ex-Showroom), Tigor is rated 4 stars in the adult protection category. Featuring dual front airbags, rear parking sensors and camera among many, though it offered marginal protection for the driver’s and passenger’s chest, the safety agency noted that the bodyshell of the car is unstable.

15. Tata Tiago (GNCAP Rating: 4 stars)

Though it does not feature ISOFIX mounts for the child protection category, it was able to manage a 3-star rating in the concerned category. Featuring dual front airbags, corner stability control and speed sensitive auto door locking among many, it scored 4 stars in the Global NCAP crash test

16. Renault Kiger (GNCAP Rating: 4 stars)

Priced between ₹ 5.99 lakhs to ₹10.57 lakhs (Ex-Showroom), Kiger scored 4 stars in the adult occupant category in the Global NCAP crash test. Though the bodyshell was rated stable, in the child occupant category it scored only 2 owing to limited child safety features