Buying A Car This Diwali? These 5 Safest 5-Star Cars Cost Under Rs 10 Lakh

The festive season is just around the corner, and you’re probably planning to buy a new car in this auspicious period. While a majority of us are now inclined towards playing a safer and cleaner Diwali by not bursting crackers, those of you considering buying a new car would also prefer to buy a very safe vehicle for your family.

So if you’re on a budget of Rs 10 lakh and are looking for the safest car in the market, here are five options you should definitely consider. Do note, we are only considering the safety ratings provided by the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP).

Another point to consider is that all five models mentioned here get a 5-star rating from BNCAP, but they’ve been listed by their Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) and Child Occupant Protection (COP) scores, in descending order.

Hyundai Venue

BNCAP Rating: 5 Stars

Adult Occupant Protection: 31.15/ 32 points

Child Occupant Protection: 44.46/ 49 points

Let’s start off the list with the highest-rated model tested by BNCAP. The second-gen Venue, launched in India in November 2025, is available with a wide variety of powertrain options (petrol, turbo-petrol and diesel), but in this budget, you can get either a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine with a 5-speed manual or the 1-litre turbo-petrol with a 6-speed manual. While the former only gets a manual, the latter is also available with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, but that costs just a shade over Rs 10 lakh.

In terms of safety features on board the new Venue, you get six airbags, ESC, ABS with EBD, stability control, three-point seatbelts with reminders, ISOFIX and more. Unfortunately, the listed variants don’t get ADAS as it’s exclusive to the HX10 trims. Comfort features on the listed variants include a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, a digital instrument cluster, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, sunroof, a wireless charger (HX5+), and more.

Tata Punch EV

BNCAP Rating: 5 Stars

Adult Occupant Protection: 31.09/ 32 points

Child Occupant Protection: 45/49 points

The Tata Punch EV is the only electric vehicle in this list, and only the base Smart 30 variant is priced under Rs 10 lakh. However, the Punch EV outscores its ICE alternative, which also mentioned in this later on. The Smart comes with a 30 kWh battery pack with a claimed range of up to 375 km on a full charge. Other trims of the Punch EV come with a 40 kWh battery pack with a claimed range of 468 km.

Safety features, even on the base-spec Smart 30 variant, include six airbags, stability control, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, hill hold assist and more. However, none of the variants of the Punch EV gets ADAS.

Creature comforts on the Tata Punch EV Smart 30 include automatic climate control, smartwatch connectivity, a 4-inch digital instrument cluster, and high-beam assist, but no touchscreen.

Skoda Kylaq

BNCAP Rating: 5 Stars

Adult Occupant Protection: 30.88/ 32 points

Child Occupant Protection: 45/49 points

At one point, the Skoda Kylaq was the highest-rated car ever tested by BNCAP, until the new Venue was launched to dethrone it. However, unlike the Venue, the Kylaq can be had with an automatic transmission in this price bracket, albeit in the lower-spec Classic+ trim.

Like the other cars mentioned in this list, the standard safety kit includes six airbags, ABS with EBD, stability control, ISOFIX and more. And like the Punch EV, the Kylaq also doesn’t offer ADAS with any variant.

Comfort features on the listed variants include 7-inch infotainment (Signature only), six speakers, automatic climate control, LED headlamps and taillamps, fabric seats, and rear parking sensors, among others.

Tata Punch

BNCAP Rating: 5 Stars

Adult Occupant Protection: 30.58/ 32 points

Child Occupant Protection: 45/49 points

While the Tata Punch EV only has one variant priced under Rs 10 lakh, the Punch ICE has 25. It's also the only car with all variants priced under Rs 10 lakh (except for the Accomplished + S CNG AMT, priced at Rs 10.77 lakh). With the facelift, the Punch gained a new turbo-petrol engine in addition to the standard petrol and CNG powertrains. While the new engine is available only with a 6-speed manual, the other still gets a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT.

Being a Tata Cars model, the Punch comes loaded with safety features on board, like six airbags, stability control, hill hold assist, ISOFIX, and the like. Like the Punch EV, it also doesn’t come with ADAS on any variant.

Again, being a Tata, the Punch also comes with a fair bit of features. It comes with a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, sunroof, cooled glovebox, 360-degree camera and more.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

BNCAP Rating: 5 Stars

Adult Occupant Protection: 30.49/ 32 points

Child Occupant Protection: 43/49 points

The Brezza is the only Maruti Suzuki model that’s made its way to this list. The recently facelifted Brezza is now also offered with a choice of either a 1-litre turbo-petrol engine from the Fronx, a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, or CNG. The turbo-petrol is only available with a 6-speed, and while the other two also get it, the petrol is the only one available with a 6-speed torque converter automatic.

As expected, there’s no loss of safety features even on the lower-spec variants. The listed variants get safety features like reverse parking sensors (turbo-petrol only), six airbags, stability control, ISOFIX and more.

Creature comforts include a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, voice assistant, rear AC vents, automatic climate control, keyless entry, projector headlamps, and more.

CarDekho Says…

If you’re looking for the safest car that you can buy under Rs 10 lakh, these five cars are sure to not disappoint. It was obvious the Punch was going to make the list, but the number of options you get in this price bracket is just next level. On the flip side, it’s great to see the Punch EV on this list, but it’s only available with the base-spec trim. If you’re looking for an automatic vehicle from this list, your only two options (apart from the obvious Punch EV) are the Kylaq and Punch. Which of these are you choosing? Tell us in the comments.

All prices are ex-showroom