These 5 Maruti Cars Are Most Likely To Get Their Bharat NCAP Safety Ratings The Earliest

Maruti Suzuki would be eager to get its first 5-star safety rating for an India-specification model

India’s own crash test rating agency, the Bharat NCAP, is all set to roll out from October 2023. The agency has confirmed that it has already received over 30 applications for crash testing. Rahul Bharti, Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs, Maruti Suzuki India, said when the programme was introduced, "Maruti welcomes this initiative of the government and will offer at least three models for Bharat NCAP testing in the first lot itself." 

Since he did not confirm what these three models are or will be, we have taken it upon ourselves to shortlist the most likely candidates from Maruti’s extensive lineup of 17 cars. Here are our top 5 picks: 

Maruti Grand Vitara

The Grand Vitara, we believe, is a strong contender for a good score from the Bharat NCAP. Among its rivals, Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun are some of the safest cars of India with five stars from the latest Global NCAP tests. Meanwhile, the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos have scored three stars. The Grand Vitara could establish itself as one of the strongest SUVs in this space by scoring well in the new BNCAP crash tests. 

Its base variant comes packed with dual front airbags, electronic stability program (ESP), hill hold assist, and ISOFIX child seat mounts. The top-end variants further get six airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, a 360-degree camera, and hill descent control (only for AWD). 

Also Read: Bharat NCAP vs Global NCAP: Similarities And Differences Explained

Maruti Jimny

The three-door version of the Jimny has already been crash tested by the Euro NCAP, where it scored an average 3-star safety rating. We believe the five-door Maruti Jimny could also be a prime contender to get itself an early score from the Bharat NCAP, as it is also exported to markets like Australia and South Africa. Its prime rival, the Mahindra Thar, gets four stars as per the older Global NCAP tests. Moreover, with the five-door Thar arriving in 2024, the Jimny could have a competitive benefit by securing a strong safety rating. 

Maruti’s off-road focused SUV gets six airbags, a rear parking camera, hill hold and descent control, ISOFIX child seat mounts, and electronic stability programme as standard. 

Maruti Fronx

Maruti Fronx is a hatchback-SUV crossover which rivals both premium hatchbacks as well as subcompact SUVs. Among its rivals, the Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon, and Tata Altroz received a 5-star safety rating as per the older GNCAP tests, while the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger have been awarded four stars. Since it’s one of the latest Marutis to go on sale and has already been established as a popular choice, we’re expecting the Fronx to also be in consideration for being among the first to get crash tested by BNCAP. 

While features like dual front airbags, ESP with hill hold assist, and rear parking sensors are standard, the higher end variants get up to six airbags and a 360-degree camera. 

Also Read: Top 7 Cars We Want To See Tested At The Bharat NCAP

Maruti Baleno

Maruti Baleno is among the best selling cars of India and one of its rivals, the Tata Altroz, has already been tested by the old GNCAP protocols. It would boost the premium hatchback’s appeal even more. The previous version of the hatchback failed the Latin NCAP crash tests. 

Its safety feature list is similar to the Fronx, with dual front airbags, ESP, hill hold assist, and rear parking sensors as standard. The higher-end variants add six airbags and a 360-degree camera. 

Maruti Brezza

The previous generation of the Brezza scored four stars in the older Global NCAP tests, making it the best performing Maruti till date. It would help the Maruti SUV reclaim its segment-leader title if it could prove itself just as sturdy and safe with a fresh crash test rating from BNCAP.

Safety is covered by the presence of up to six airbags, hill hold assist, ESP, a 360-degree camera, and ISOFIX child seat mounts. 

The Bharat NCAP testing procedures are in line with the updated Global NCAP norms. The Maruti Swift, Alto K10, S-Presso, Wagon R, and Ignis have already been tested as per the new norms, where all of them performed poorly. Over the recent launches, Maruti has stated that it’s working on making cars safer and with these five cars, it could come at par with its rivals and improve Maruti’s image with regards to vehicle safety by design. 

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