These Are The Top 5 Safest Cars In India With A Starting Price Under Rs 10 Lakh
The list includes five models, all of which have received a 5-star safety rating in both adult and child occupant protection
If you have been following the Indian automotive industry closely in recent years, you would know how safe cars have become today compared to the last few decades. Having a car with some of the best-in-segment safety features is no longer just a luxury but has slowly become a necessity. Today, multiple carmakers are passing on some premium safety technology on many of their affordable offerings. In this article, we have compiled the top five safest cars as per Bharat NCAP available in India with a starting price under Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom):
Hyundai Venue (Rs 8 lakh onwards)
| Safety Tests |
Safety Rating |
Safety Score |
| Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
31.15/32 points |
| Child Occupant Protection (COP) |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
44.46/49 points |
Adult Occupant Protection
- Frontal Offset Deformable Barrier Test - 15.15/16 points
- Side Moveable Deformable Barrier Test - 16/16 points
In the AOP assessments, the new Hyundai Venue recorded a score of 31.15 out of 32 points. In the frontal offset test, it scored 15.15 out of 16 points, with protection levels rated as ‘good’ across key body regions, while lower-leg performance and the driver’s chest were rated as ‘adequate’. In the side impact evaluation, the Venue got 16 out of 16 points, indicating ‘good’ protection to the head and chest.
Child Occupant Protection
- Dynamic Score - 23.46/24 points
- CRS Installation Score - 12/12 points
- Vehicle Assessment Score - 9/13 points
In the child safety tests, the second-generation Hyundai Venue recorded 44.46 out of 49 points. In the dynamic crash test, it achieved 23.46 out of 24 points, indicating proper restraint and stability for child occupants during impact. It also achieved a full score of 12 out of 12 points in the Child Restraint System (CRS) installation check, confirming compatibility with recommended child seats. Both the 18-month-old and 3-year-old test dummies were well-secured in frontal and side impact scenarios, highlighting effective occupant protection for young passengers.
Skoda Kylaq (Rs 7.59 lakh onwards)
| Safety Tests |
Safety Rating |
Safety Score |
| Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
30.88/32 points |
| Child Occupant Protection (COP) |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
45/49 points |
Adult Occupant Protection
- Frontal Offset Deformable Barrier Test - 15.04/16 points
- Side Moveable Deformable Barrier Test - 15.84/16 points
In the AOP assessments, the Skoda Kylaq received ‘good’ protection to all the parts of the co-driver and all the parts of the driver, except the driver’s chest and left tibia, the protection of which was rated ‘adequate’ when considering the frontal impact test.
In the side movable deformable barrier test, the adult dummy’s chest received ‘adequate’ protection, while protection to the head, abdomen and pelvis was rated ‘good’. In the side pole impact test, all the parts received ‘good’ protection.
Child Occupant Protection
- Dynamic Score - 24/24 points
- CRS Installation Score - 12/12 points
- Vehicle Assessment Score - 9/13 points
For the COP tests, the Kylaq scored full points (24 out of 24) in the dynamic test using the child restraint systems. For both the 18-month-old and 3-year-old dummy’s front and side protection, the dynamic score was 8 out of 8 points and 4 out of 4 points, respectively. Both the child seats were installed in a rearward-facing direction.
Tata Punch (Rs 5.70 lakh onwards)
| Safety Tests |
Safety Rating |
Safety Score |
| Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
30.58/32 points |
| Child Occupant Protection (COP) |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
45/49 points |
Adult Occupant Protection
- Frontal Offset Deformable Barrier Test - 14.71/16 points
- Side Moveable Deformable Barrier Test - 15.87/16 points
The facelifted Tata Punch was crash tested by the Bharat NCAP shortly after it was introduced in our market. It got a score of 30.58 out of 32 points in AOP. In the frontal offset deformable barrier test, it offered ‘good’ protection to the head and neck of both the front passengers. When the driver’s chest and the knees of both the front occupants were concerned, the new Punch provided ‘adequate’ protection (with ‘good’ protection for the co-driver’s left knee). It offered ‘good’ protection for the thighs and lower legs of both the front passengers.
In the side movable deformable barrier test, it provided ‘good’ protection to the head, abdomen, and pelvis. The driver's chest was rated 'adequate'. The side pole impact test was rated ‘OK’, indicating ‘good’ protection in this scenario.
Child Occupant Protection
- Dynamic Score - 24/24 points
- CRS Installation Score - 12/12 points
- Vehicle Assessment Score - 9/13 points
The Tata Punch scored 45 out of 49 points in COP. In the dynamic tests, it achieved a full score of 24 out of 24 points. Both the 18-month-old and 3-year-old dummies were tested in rearward-facing child seats installed using ISOFIX anchorages. The facelifted Punch has a maximum of eight points in the frontal impact and four points in the side impact for each child.
Kia Syros (Rs 8.42 lakh onwards)
| Safety Tests |
Safety Rating |
Safety Score |
| Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
30.21/32 points |
| Child Occupant Protection (COP) |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
44.42/49 points |
Adult Occupant Protection
- Frontal Offset Deformable Barrier Test - 14.21/16 points
- Side Moveable Deformable Barrier Test - 16/16 points
In the frontal impact test, the Kia Syros offered ‘good’ protection to the driver and passenger’s head and neck. The protection to the driver’s chest was rated only as ‘adequate’, while the passenger’s chest protection was rated ‘good’. It showed ‘good’ protection to the driver and passenger’s thighs and pelvis region, while both tibias of the driver and the right tibia of the passenger received ‘adequate’ protection. The driver’s feet received a ‘good’ protection rating.
In the side deformable barrier test, the Syros provided ‘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
- Dynamic Score - 23.42/24 points
- CRS Installation Score - 12/12 points
- Vehicle Assessment Score - 9/13 points
The Syros achieved 11.58 out of 12 points when it was tested for protection offered to an 18-month-old child. For a 3-year-old child, the SUV was handed an almost perfect score of 11.84 out of 12 points. The child seats for both the dummies were installed in a rearward-facing direction.
Tata Altroz (Rs 6 lakh onwards)
| Safety Tests |
Safety Rating |
Safety Score |
| Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
29.65/32 points |
| Child Occupant Protection (COP) |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
44.90/49 points |
Adult Occupant Protection
- Frontal Offset Deformable Barrier Test - 15.55/16 points
- Side Moveable Deformable Barrier Test - 14.11/16 points
The facelifted Tata Altroz, in its frontal offset deformable test, offered ‘good’ protection to the driver’s head, neck, chest, pelvis, thighs and feet. Safety to the tibias was rated to be ‘adequate’. All critical parts of the co-driver received ‘good’ protection, save for the right tibia, protection to which was claimed to be ‘adequate’.
In the side pole impact test, all parts of the occupant got ‘good’ protection. In the side movable deformable barrier test, however, protection to the passenger’s chest and abdomen was marked ‘marginal’ and ‘adequate’, respectively, while safety to the head and neck was ‘good’.
Child Occupant Protection
- Dynamic Score - 23.90/24 points
- CRS Installation Score - 12/12 points
- Vehicle Assessment Score - 9/13 points
In its COP assessments with the 18-month-old dummy, the Altroz scored 7.90 out of 8 points in the frontal crash test, but achieved a full 4 out of 4 points in the side crash test. With the 3-year-old dummy, however, the premium hatchback managed a full 8 out of 8 points and 4 out of 4 scores in frontal and side crash tests, respectively.
These are the top five safest cars on sale in our market as per the test results from the Bharat NCAP assessment body, with a starting price under Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom). Which of these cars would you plan to buy considering the safety ratings and performance in the crash tests? Let us know in the comments.