Kia Syros vs Mahindra XUV 3XO: Five-star Safety Rated Sub-4m SUVs Bharat NCAP Results Compared

Does the Kia Syros emerge as the new benchmark for safety among sub-4m SUVs in India? Let’s compare it with the Mahindra XUV 3XO using Bharat NCAP results.

The Kia Syros and Mahindra XUV 3XO are two of the most promising sub-4m SUVs in India today. Both models have undergone Bharat NCAP crash testing, each securing a 5-star rating. While the Syros was recently tested, the XUV 3XO was evaluated earlier in 2024. But which SUV truly leads in occupant protection? Let’s find out.

Bharat NCAP Crash Test Results

Kia Syros Bharat NCAP Tests

In the frontal offset deformable barrier test, the Kia Syros offered ‘good’ protection for most of the driver’s body parts, with only the chest and both tibias marked as providing ‘adequate’ protection. For the front passenger, all areas were rated ‘good’ except the right tibia, which got an ‘adequate’ score.

In side impact and pole impact tests, the Syros delivered ‘good’ protection across the board.In the COP tests, the Syros scored 7.58 out of 8 for the 18-month-old dummy and 7.84 out of 8 for the 3-year-old dummy in the frontal impact test. The SUV achieved a full 4 out of 4 in side impact protection for both dummies.

Mahindra XUV 3XO Bharat NCAP Tests

The Mahindra XUV 3XO, on the other hand, offered ‘good’ protection for most regions in the frontal offset deformable barrier test, but scored slightly lower than the Syros with 13.36 out of 16 points. It offered ‘good’ protection to most of the critical body areas of both the driver and co-driver. However, ‘adequate’ protection was observed for the chest, feet and the right tibias of the driver. The left tibia was rated “marginal”. Considering the driver got less protection, it makes sense why the XUV 3XO lags behind the Syros when it comes to AOP.

 The XUV 3XO matched the Syros with full marks in the side movable deformable barrier test and also offered ‘good’ protection to all parts of the driver in side pole impact tests.For child protection, the XUV 3XO achieved a perfect 8 out of 8 for frontal impact protection and 4 out of 4 for side impact protection for both the 18-month-old and 3-year-old dummy.

Final Takeaway

Although both the sub-compact SUVs carry a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating, the Kia Syros has performed marginally better than the XUV 3XO in overall scores.

In AOP, the Syros performed slightly better than the XUV 3XO. This is mainly because the Syros offered better protection to its occupants, whereas in the XUV 3XO, some parts of the dummy were rated adequate and marginal. To improve their scores further, both cars would need to offer better protection for the chest and lower legs. 

The XUV 3XO achieved a perfect 24 out of 24 in the COP dynamic test, while the front and side crash test with the dummies did not return a perfect full score to the Syros. However, the Syros managed to surpass the XUV 3XO in overall COP score. This advantage is largely due to the Syros having a higher vehicle assessment score of 9 out of 13, compared to the XUV 3XO’s 7 out of 13.

However, in side impact protection, both SUVs performed equally well with a full 16 out of 16 in the side movable deformable barrier test and offered good protection across all critical areas in the side pole impact test.

Safety Features On Offer

The Kia Syros’ safety suite has features like 6 airbags (as standard), a 360-degree camera with a blind spot monitor, electronic stability control (ESC), an electronic parking brake with auto-hold and a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

The Mahindra XUV 3XO gets safety features like 6 airbags (as standard), a 360-degree camera with a blind spot monitor, ESC with hill hold and descent control, traction control, 3-point seatbelts with reminders for all seats, and all-wheel disc brakes.

Do note that both these sub-4m SUVs are also equipped with Level-2 advanced driver assistance system (ADAS).

Price And Rivals

The Kia Syros positions itself as one of the more premium offerings in the sub-compact SUV segment and is priced more than any of its segment rivals including the Mahindra XUV 3XO.

*All prices are ex-showroom, pan-India

All discussed, both the SUVs feature impressive safety on offer. So would you spend extra on the Kia Syros for its edge over the Mahindra XUV3XO? Let us know in the comments.

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