2-Star Global NCAP Safety Rating Cars in India

Global NCAP safety test has recently received special attention from the Indian car buyers. By conducting standardized and transparent crash tests on multiple India-spec vehicles, the Global NCAP test has extended its influence in the Indian car market. Out of all the vehicles took the test, we have seen various models to achieve the high score of four or five stars. However, there still a number of vehicles which ended up with surprisingly low scores of only one-, two- or even zero-star ratings at the Global NCAP test. It is even more disappointing that some of these low-scored vehicles are popular or even best-selling vehicles in the market. Here are four vehicles with a 2-star rating at the Global NCAP test.

Hyundai Santro

Price: Rs 4.63 – 6.31 Lakh

Hyundai Santro is on offer as the entry-level vehicle on Hyundai’s line up. Launched in 2018, the small hatchback has appealed many buyers of the budget segment and quickly became a hot-selling model in its class. Hyundai Santro is offered with one single-engine which is a 1.1-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit. This hatchback is also available with factory-fitted CNG version as well. At the starting price of Rs 4.63 lakh, Hyundai Santro is not a cheap car compared to other vehicles of its segment. However, it will come as a surprise that this car only scores two-star at the Global NCAP test with the same score (two stars) for both child and adult occupant protection.

The test report points out that the bodyshells of the Hyundai Santro was “unstable” and “not capable of withstanding further loadings.” Moreover, the footwell area was rated as “unstable” too. As for child protection, the Hyundai Santro lacks key safety features like ISOFIX anchor points and does not offer a 3-point belt in all seating positions. Hyundai Santro offers driver airbags, ABS with EBD as standard across the range.

Hyundai Grand 10 Nios

Price: Rs 5.12 – 8.35 Lakh

Hyundai Grand i10 was positioned above the Santro on Hyundai’s line-up. However, its premium position does not translate to a better safety level, especially when the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios received only two-star rating at the Global NCAP test. To be specific, the hatchback gained two stars in both child and adult occupant safety. Similar to the Hyundai Santro, the Grand i10 Nios’s bodyshells and footwell area were also rated as “unstable”. Commenting on child occupant protection, the test result issued by Global NCAP noted that the i10 Nios “offered poor protection to the head and fair protection to the chest” for the 3-year old dummy. It also missed out on features like ISOFIX child seat mounts and 3-point belts in all situations. It is worth noticing that the version was tested was a mid-spec Sportz variant with safety features like dual front airbags, ABS with BED rear parking sensor and front seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiter, rear parking camera and speed-sensing and impact sensing door lock. Despite all these safety goodies, Hyundai Grand i10 Nios failed to get a higher safety rating.

Hyundai Grand i10 Nios is the new-gen version of the Grand i10, which was launched last year. It is available with three engine options, a 1.2-litre petrol, a 1.2-litre turbo-diesel engine and a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engines, making it the vehicle with the most powertrain options in its class. In addition, Hyundai also offers CNG version for the 1.2-litre engine. Standard features on the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios include rear parking sensors, dual front airbags, ABS with EBD.

Maruti Swift

Price: Rs 5.19 – 8.02 Lakh

Not only being the segment-leading vehicle, but Maruti Swift is also among the most popular cars in the Indian automotive market. With a good-looking design, fun-to-drive quality and high practicality, Maruti Swift has won the heart of many car fans in India.

The hatchback is also among the first India-spec models to take the Global NCAP crash test. However, the result of the popular hatchback was underwhelming with a two-star score. As for the adult protection, the Swift received only two stars for the adult occupant due to the poor protection of the driver’s chest and feet, unstable body structure. About the child safety, while it was offered with ISOFIX anchorages, the protection for 18-month-old dummy was rated as poor. On the standard version, Maruti Swift is equipped with front seatbelt pretensioners, dual front airbags, and ISOFIX (i-size) anchorages.

Maruti Swift is offered with a 1.2-litre petrol unit that churns out 83 PS and 113 Nm. This engine is mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT gearbox.

Maruti Wagon R

Price: Rs 4.63 – 6.31 Lakh

Maruti Wagon R is another best-selling vehicle from the Indo-Japanese car manufacturer in the hatchback segment. Focused on the practicality, Maruti Wagon R has become a favourite car for Indian customers for decades. The tallboy hatchback ticks most of the boxes to become an all-round hatchback. The bad news is that this beloved hatchback only received two stars at the Global NCAP test.

According to the test report, Maruti Wagon R’s protection for driver and passenger’s chest was noted as “weak”. The body structured was claimed to be “unstable” and so was the footwell. Maruti Wagon R did not provide 3 point belt and ISOFIX anchorages, which partially explained the low score for child occupant protection.

Maruti Wagon R is available with two BSVI-compliant engines which include 1.0-litre petrol and a 1.2-litre petrol unit. These engines are capable of churning out 83PS/113Nm and 68PS/90Nm, respectively. Both of the engines are offered with a 5-speed manual and AMT gearbox. There is also a CNG version for the 1.0-litre petrol engine.