Bharat NCAP: 5 made in India SUVs we would like to see tested first

Carmakers in India will not require to send their vehicles to Global NCAP for crash tests anymore. Bharat NCAP, the India version of the global safety rating agency, will start operations from October. Constituted in line with the global agency, Bharat NCAP will put cars through several crash tests and determine their safety rating from one to five stars. These safety tests will be conducted if and when a carmaker voluntary sends its vehicles to the agency. So far, there is no official word on which car will be the first to undergo Bharat NCAP crash tests. However, here is a list of SUVs that have not been tested by any agency so far we would love to see go first.

Maruti Grand Vitara

Maruti Suzuki's foray into the compact SUV segment got a fresh push with the Grand Vitara. The SUV, launched in 2022, comes with several features which promise a safer drive. The entry-level variants of the Grand Vitara offer only two airbags besides others like Seat Belt Warning, Anchor Points for Child Seat, Middle rear three-point seatbelt, ESP, 360-degree camera, tyre pressure monitoring system, hill-descent control and Anti theft Engine immobilizer among others. The mid and top-spec variants offer six airbags, including two curtain airbags, as standard.

Maruti Suzuki later added a new safety feature called the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS), which promises to make lives safer for pedestrians through alert sound system.

Though the entry-level Grand Vitara may not score too highly at crash tests, the mid and top variants with six airbags are likely to pass the test with four star rating.

Hyundai Exter

The Korean carmaker has packed the Exter SUV, its smallest till date, with a host of safety features. It offers six airbags as standard besides ISOFIX mounts for children's safety, 3-point seatbelt for adults, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start Assist, Vehicle Stability Management among 40 advanced features.

With so many safety features packed inside the small SUV, the Exter could do well in crash tests. We reckon the SUV to score at least four stars when it goes to Bharat NCAP.

Watch: Hyundai Exter SUV: First Drive Review

Kia Seltos

The new generation Seltos has been updated with several safety features, including level 2 ADAS. The carmaker boasts of ‘robust’ 15 such features that make the Seltos a safer bet among SUVs. Besides ADAS, the SUV also offers safety features like six airbags, 360-degree camera with blind spot detection, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Assist Control and Vehicle Stability Management.

Kia had sent the Seltos to Global NCAP crash tests once when the SUV returned with a three-star rating. However, the new Seltos, which has already been introduced globally, had secured five-star rating at the Australasian New Car Assessment Program or ANCAP recently. Expect the India-spec new Seltos to score highly too at Bharat NCAP.

Honda Elevate

Honda Cars has already said that it hopes the Elevate SUV to return with at least four star rating from crash tests. Honda claims the build quality of the SUV is one of the strongest. The safety is also enhanced through several features it comes loaded with. These include ADAS features, six airbags, ISOFIX, Hill Start Assist and Rear Parking Camera among others. Expect the Elevate to score even five star rating and become one of the safest car in India. Honda's two other models - the City and Jazz - had secured four-star rating at the Global NCAP earlier.

Maruti Jimny

Jimny has been the biggest launch from Maruti Suzuki this year as it aims to take on Mahindra Thar in the lifestyle SUV segment. In terms of safety, the Jimny packs a lot of punch with six airbags as standard, ABS with EBD, ESP with hill hold control, hill descent control, brake assist function, side-impact door beams, seatbelt pre-tensioner and force limiter for the front occupants, three-point seatbelts, ISOFIX, rear-view camera and more.

The three-door variant of the Jimny SUV sold globally was earlier tested by the Euro NCAP, ANCAP and JNCAP. The 2018 Suzuki Jimny scored a three-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test. Expect the five-door India-spec Jimny to do much better at Bharat NCAP.