New Kia Seltos Achieves A 5-Star Safety Rating In Bharat NCAP Crash Test
The 2026 Kia Seltos has scored better than its prime rivals, Tata Sierra and Maruti Victoris
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The second-generation Kia Seltos was launched at the start of 2026 in India, with prices commencing at Rs 10.99 lakh (introductory ex-showroom pan-India). Its Bharat NCAP crash test score has now been revealed, and it has achieved a 5-star rating in the safety assessments. The rating applies to both Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) and Child Occupant Protection (COP). For the assessments, the Bharat NCAP authority had put the 1-above-base HTE (O) and the higher-spec GTX variants to the test. Here’s a detailed look at the results:
Adult Occupant Protection (AOP)- 31.70/32 Points
Frontal offset deformable barrier test: 15.70/16 points
Side deformable barrier test: 16/16 points
In the frontal impact test conducted at 64 kmph, the new Kia Seltos offered ‘good’ protection to the driver's and passenger’s head and neck. The protection to the driver’s and co-driver’s chest was also rated as ‘good’. Kia’s compact SUV showed ‘good’ protection to the driver's and passenger’s thighs and pelvis region. While the tibias of the co-driver got ‘good’ protection, the driver’s right tibia was deemed to have ‘good’ protection, but the left tibia saw ‘adequate’ protection. The driver’s feet received ‘adequate’ protection.
When crash tested from the side against a deformable barrier at 50 kmph, the 2026 Kia Seltos offered ‘good’ protection to all parts of the driver.
In the side pole test, the result was the same as in the side impact test, with ‘good’ protection to all the body areas.
Child Occupant Protection (COP) - 45/49 Points
Dynamic score: 24/24 points
Child restraint system (CRS) installation score: 12/12 points
Vehicle Assessment score: 9/13 points
18-month Old Child
The new Seltos got 12 out of 12 points when it was tested for the protection offered to an 18-month-old child. The CRS is installed rearward-facing during the test.
3-year Old Child
For a 3-year-old child, the compact SUV was given a full score of 12 out of 12 points. The Bharat NCAP fact sheet provides less detail on the protection offered to child occupants than the Global NCAP result sheet, particularly regarding head, chest, and neck performance across various crash tests.
| What You Should Know: The new Seltos has obtained better crash test scores than the likes of the Tata Sierra and Maruti Suzuki Victoris, making it a relatively safer SUV in its segment. |
2026 Kia Seltos: Safety Features
Kia has loaded the new Seltos with safety features such as six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), ABS with EBD, all-wheel disc brakes, ISOFIX child seat anchorages, and a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) as standard. Other safety tech on offer includes an electronic parking brake with auto-hold, front and rear parking sensors, and Level-2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). We have already covered the full variant-wise features on offer to help you pick the right variant for your needs.
2026 Kia Seltos: Price And Competition
The 2026 Kia Seltos costs between Rs 10.99 lakh and Rs 19.99 lakh (introductory ex-showroom pan-India). It competes with the likes of the Maruti Victoris, Hyundai Creta, Honda Elevate, Skoda Kushaq, Tata Sierra, Toyota Hyryder, and MG Astor.
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