Indian cars with poor safety ratings at Global NCAP, Maruti and Hyundai top list

In an age where cars have become significantly more powerful over the last few decades and come equipped with a wide range of features and technologies for creature comfort, safety is another segment gaining increasing attention. Till some point, safety was largely overlooked by Indian car buyers as well as manufacturers too. However, with the evolved consumer preference, vehicular safety has become a paramount point when people go to buy a new personal car.

How well a car resists the impact entering the cabin is what matters. While the crash test ratings given to the cars by various testing agencies don't always do justice to the vehicle's calibre, such ratings give a fair idea of what the vehicle is capable of. In India, while passenger vehicles are increasingly focusing on various safety measures including active and passive safety features, there are several cars that performed in a lacklustre way in the Global NCAP crash tests.

Maruti Suzuki WagonR (1-star)

Maruti Suzuki WagonR is another popular car from the automaker due to its practicality, affordability and signature tallboy design. However, when it comes to safety, this hatchback scored only one star in the Global NCAP crash test. It scored one star for adult occupancy protection and zero star for child occupancy protection.

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 (2-stars)

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 is the only existing model in the iconic Alto lineup, which bears the legacy of the first-ever Maruti Suzuki car, the Maruti 800. This entry-level hatchback is one of the bestsellers and volume churners for the automaker but when it comes to safety, it scored only two stars in the Global NCAP crash test for the adult occupancy protection segment, while in the child occupancy protection segment, it scored zero.

Maruti Suzuki Swift (2-stars)

Maruti Suzuki Swift is one of the bestsellers of the company. Also, this is one of the most popular hatchbacks in India. The Swift was updated in 2021 and Maruti Suzuki claimed it comes with a rigid Heartect platform and is equipped with various safety features. However, the car scored 7.08 and 16.23 points in adult and child occupancy protection respectively.

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios (2-stars)

Hyundai is the second largest car brand in India and sells some of the most widely popular models in the country. The upmarket hatchback managed to score only two stars in the Global NCAP crash test with 7.05 and 15 points for adult and child occupancy protection respectively. Additionally, its bodyshell integrity was described as unstable.

Hyundai Creta (3-star)

Hyundai Creta is considered one of the bestselling SUVs in India. This stylish SUV was tested by Global NCAP in 2022 and received only a three-star rating. The Hyundai Creta received eight points in adult occupancy protection and 28.29 points in child occupancy protection with the bodyshell integrity being unstable.

Kia Seltos (3-star)

Kia Seltos is basically the rebadged sibling of the Hyundai Creta. This SUV comes sharing the same platform and several key components as the Hyundai Creta. Just like its Hyundai-badged sibling, the Seltos received a three-star rating with 8.03 points in adult occupancy protection. The SUV scored three stars in child occupancy protection with 15 points. Like the Creta, its body shell is unstable, as mentioned by Global NCAP in its test report.

Renault Kwid (1-star)

Renault Kwid is a small but popular hatchback. It is one of the most successful cars the French automaker has launched in India to date. The hatchback received just a one-star safety rating for both adult occupancy protection and child occupancy protection.