Over a decade, Global NCAP’s Safer Cars for India program has been informing car buyers about vehicle safety. India is launching its safety rating program, Bharat NCAP, which will take over from Global NCAP. Before wrapping up, Global NCAP revealed the results of crash tests for five new car models in the first four months of 2024. Let’s see how these cars performed.
- Citroen’s electric hatchback falls short in safety tests. It scored the lowest among cars tested by Global NCAP in 2024.
While adult occupant protection wasn’t terrible (20.86 out of 34 points), the eC3 missed a safety rating entirely due to several shortcomings.
These included a lack of Electronic Stability Control (ESC), substandard seatbelt reminders, and failure to meet pedestrian safety standards.
The car also offered weak protection for the driver’s and passenger’s chest, and the driver’s legs.
The car lacks ISOFIX child seat mounts, the safest way to secure a child’s car seat.
Poor protection in frontal impacts: Crash tests revealed excessive forward movement and head contact with the car’s interior for the 3-year-old dummy.
Inadequate side impact protection: The 18-month-old dummy’s head was exposed during the side impact test.
- Mahindra’s Bolero Neo Disappoints in Safety Tests
The Bolero Neo, Mahindra’s compact SUV, performed poorly in Global NCAP’s latest crash tests, earning only a 1-star rating for both adult and child occupant safety. This falls short of its sibling, the Scorpio N, which achieved a higher rating.
Several factors contributed to the Neo’s low score:
- Weak Structure: The car’s body and footwell area were deemed unstable in a crash.
- Missing Safety Features: It lacked crucial safety equipment like curtain airbags, seatbelt reminders for all passengers, and most importantly, three-point seatbelts for all seating positions. The presence of side-facing seats in the third row is another safety concern.
- Limited Child Protection: While the Neo offered decent protection for the older child dummy, the younger dummy’s head was exposed during a frontal impact. Additionally, the car only has one child seat restraint system.
- Honda Amaze Scores Low in Global NCAP Tests
The Honda Amaze received a disappointing safety rating from Global NCAP, with only 2 stars for adult occupants and zero for child safety.
- Adult Occupant Protection: The Amaze scored poorly in chest and knee protection and lacked Electronic Stability Control (ESC), leading to a low 2-star rating.
- Child Safety Concerns: Despite having ISOFIX child seat mounts, the Amaze performed abysmally in child safety tests. The crash tests revealed inadequate protection for both the 3-year-old and 18-month-old dummies, with head contact for the 3-year-old and complete ejection for the 18-month-old during frontal impacts.
Although Honda recently upgraded the Amaze’s safety features, it’s unlikely to be retested by Global NCAP as India transitions to its own Bharat NCAP program. This rating serves as a reminder for potential buyers to consider the Amaze’s safety limitations.
- Kia Carens Improves Safety Rating After Initial Fail
The Kia Carens is a unique case in Global NCAP’s testing. It underwent multiple tests due to changes in safety protocols.
- Initial Fail: In the first test under stricter 2022 norms, the Carens received a concerning zero stars for adult occupant protection because the driver dummy sustained serious neck injuries.
- Improvements and Re-test: Kia promptly addressed the issue by enhancing the restraint systems. This resulted in a 3-star rating in subsequent tests. However, the car’s score was still limited by an unstable body structure and a lack of comprehensive seatbelt reminders (covering only the front row).
Despite the adult occupant limitations, the Carens achieved a perfect 5-star rating for child safety, thanks to its standard features like six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), and ISOFIX child seat mounts.
- Tata Nexon Facelift Earns Top Safety Marks
The facelifted Tata Nexon aced the latest Global NCAP crash tests, maintaining its impressive 5-star safety rating. This time around, under stricter testing protocols, the Nexon improved its scores:
- Adult occupant protection: 32.22 out of 34 points (max) – This is the second-highest adult safety score ever recorded in Global NCAP’s Safer Cars for India program.
- Child occupant protection: 44.52 out of 49 points (max) – A significant improvement over the previous Nexon’s 3-star child safety rating in 2018.
The Nexon provided adequate to good protection for occupants in all simulated crashes except for the chest area in the side pole impact test.
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Key safety features contributing to the Nexon’s success include:
- Six airbags
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
- Seatbelt reminders
- ISOFIX child seat anchors
- Passenger airbag disabling switch
This strong safety performance makes the Nexon facelift a compelling choice for buyers prioritizing occupant protection.
