After a long await, India has got its first-ever crash test safety ratings, named Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP). The BNCAP rating system was launched by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, who said that the new programme will give a significant boost to road safety campaign in India and is a significant step forward to improve road safety through raising the safety standards of motor vehicles. Cars falling under the M1 category will be eligible for the test, and it is not mandatory for the automakers.


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Based on the performance of the car in the tests, the vehicle will be awarded star ratings on a scale of 0-5, for adult occupants (AOP) and child occupants (COP). This is similar to the Global NCAP ratings, the body who not only helped in formulate the Bharat NCAP test, but has been testing the Indian cars for safety standards for the past decade or so. Global NCAP has tested more than 50 cars till date, helping potential car customers compare the safety standards of different vehicles and accordingly make their purchase decision.


While the Bharat NCAP is expected to boost the demand for safer cars, with high safety standards, and further help Indian cars to compete in the global market, increasing the export potential of the car manufacturers in India, it will only be implemented from October 1, 2023. Before the new Bharat NCAP safety test ratings kick-in, here's a look at the top 10 safest cars sold in India, as judged by Global NCAP. Interestingly, 8 out of 10 cars have scored a full 5-Star safety rating, while 7 of these 10 cars are SUVs.


Top 10 Safest Cars In India:


1. Volkswagen Virtus/Skoda Slavia: 5-Star Rating


2. Skoda Kushaq/Volkswagen Taigun: 5-Stars


3. Mahindra Scorpio-N: 5-Stars


4. Tata Punch: 5-Stars 


5. Mahindra XUV300: 5-Stars


6. Tata Altroz: 5-Stars


7. Tata Nexon: 5-Stars


8. Mahindra XUV700: 5-Stars 


9. Honda Jazz: 4-Stars


10. Toyota Urban Cruiser: 4-Stars 


What is Bharat NCAP?


The Bharat NCAP programme or Bharat New Car Assessment Programme is India's first crash test programme where car manufacturers can voluntarily offer their cars tested as per Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197. The Bharat NCAP joins the programmes like ASEAN NCAP from Asia, Euro NCAP from Europe, Latin NCAP from South America and NHTSA Test in the United States, apart from Global NCAP, that performs test on cars from countries where NCAP is not launched, including India and Africa.


Bharat NCAP is a valuntary crash test programme in which cars are rated basis Adult Occupants (AOP), Child Occupant (COP) and Fitment of Safety Assist Technologies. A safety rating in stars is ascertained, and potential car customers can refer to these star ratings to compare the safety standards of different vehicles and accordingly make their purchase-decision. The Bharat NCAP star rating are assigned through an array of rigorous crash tests, including frontal, side, and pole-side impact assessments.