Tata Nexon EV vs Tata Punch EV: Bharat NCAP Crash Test Results Compared

Back in June 2024, the Punch EV was rated safer than the Nexon EV by Bharat NCAP. But with the recent crash test results for the higher variants of the Nexon EV, does the bigger electric SUV take the lead this time?

All variants of the Tata Nexon EV are now rated 5 stars for crash safety by Bharat NCAP, following the new rating for its long-range 45 kWh battery variants. Some of these variants sit in the same price range as the Tata Punch EV, which has also earned a 5-star safety rating in its Bharat NCAP crash test in June 2024. But which one is the safer choice? Let us take a closer look.

Bharat NCAP Crash Test Results And Scores

The table suggests that the Tata Punch EV has a better overall AOP and COP score than the Tata Nexon EV. Both models have the same CRS installation score and vehicle assessment scores.

Let us take a detailed look at the safety ratings of both Tata electric SUVs:

Tata Nexon EV Bharat NCAP Tests

In the frontal deformable barrier test, the Tata Nexon EV offered 'good' protection to the driver’s head, neck, pelvis, thighs and feet. However, the chest and tibias were rated to have 'adequate' protection. For the co-driver, all critical body parts received a 'good' protection rating, except for the right tibia which was rated 'adequate'.

In the side deformable barrier test, the driver’s chest received 'adequate' protection, while the rest of the body parts were rated 'good'. In the side pole impact test, all key areas of the driver were given a 'good' protection rating.

In the Child Occupant Protection (COP) tests, both the 18-month-old and 3-year-old dummies scored 4 out of 4 for side impact protection. For frontal protection, the 18-month-old dummy scored 7.95 out of 8, while the 3-year-old dummy received full marks.

Tata Punch EV Bharat NCAP Tests

In the frontal deformable barrier test, the Tata Punch EV offered 'good' protection to all parts of the driver, except the tibias, which were rated 'adequate'. For the co-driver, all body parts received a 'good' protection rating, except for the chest, which was rated 'adequate'.

In the side pole impact test, all parts of the driver’s body were rated 'good'. However, in the side movable deformable barrier test, the driver’s chest was rated 'adequate', while all other critical parts were rated 'good'.

In the Child Occupant Protection (COP) tests, the Punch EV scored 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 dummies.

Final Takeaway

The Tata Punch EV has a better Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) score than the Tata Nexon EV. This is mainly because, in the frontal offset deformable barrier test, the Nexon’s driver’s chest and tibias, as well as the co-driver’s right tibia, were rated 'adequate'. In comparison, the Punch offered 'good' protection to the driver’s chest and the co-driver’s right tibia. However, the co-driver’s chest in the Punch EV was rated 'adequate', whereas it was rated 'good' in the Nexon EV.

In the side movable deformable barrier test and the side pole impact test, both EVs performed similarly.

However, the Punch EV has a better Child Occupant Protection (COP) rating than the Tata Nexon EV. This is mainly because the Nexon EV did not score full marks in the frontal impact test for the 18-month-old dummy, while the Punch EV scored a perfect 8 out of 8 in the same test.

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Safety Features On Offer

The Tata Nexon EV and Tata Punch EV offer nearly identical safety features. Both come with 6 airbags as standard, a 360-degree camera with blind spot monitor, electronic stability control (ESC), an electronic parking brake with auto hold, ISOFIX child seat mounts, rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), hill hold control and hill descent control. However, the Nexon EV also gets front parking sensors, which are not offered with the smaller Tata Punch EV.

Price And Rivals

All prices are ex-showroom, pan-India

The Tata Punch EV locks horns with the Citroen eC3, while the Tata Nexon EV competes against the MG Windsor EV and Mahindra XUV400.

Going by the Bharat NCAP results, will you choose the Tata Nexon EV or the Tata Punch EV? Tell us in the comments below.

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