No government body ranks the safest car brands in India. Bharat NCAP, the country's official crash-test programme, rates one model and a listed set of variants at a time. A brand can sell a five-star SUV on one side of the showroom and an untested hatchback on the other.
So when a salesperson says "five-star safe", ask which test and which trim. We built the ranking from the fact sheets on the Bharat NCAP official portal: seven brands, the scores that put them there, and the variant traps worth knowing.
How Bharat NCAP Tests Cars (and How We Ranked the Brands)
Bharat NCAP launched on August 22, 2023 and opened to carmakers on October 1, 2023. The Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) in Pune runs it under the AIS-197 standard, and testing is voluntary.
Each rating has two scores:
Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), out of 32. Up to 16 points come from a 64 km/h frontal offset crash and 16 from a 50 km/h side barrier crash. The car must also pass a 29 km/h side pole test for five stars.
Child Occupant Protection (COP), out of 49. That is 24 points for how child dummies fare in the crash, 12 for how easily child seats fit, and 13 for the car's own features, such as ISOFIX mounts (standard anchor points for child seats).
Five stars also needs stability control and seat-belt reminders as standard. We ranked brands by how many models they have had rated, then their best AOP score, then COP. Global NCAP results are not counted.
Safest Car Brands in India: Comparison Table
| Rank & Brand | Top-Scoring Model and Its AOP | COP | Other Rated Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tata Motors | Harrier.EV (32.00) | 45.00 | Sierra, Punch.ev, Punch, Altroz, Curvv, Curvv.ev, Nexon, Nexon.ev, Harrier, Safari |
| Mahindra | XEV 9e (32.00) | 45.00 | BE 6, XUV 7XO, Thar Roxx, XUV400, XUV 3XO |
| Kia | Seltos (31.70) | 45.00 | Syros |
| Maruti Suzuki | Victoris (31.66) | 43.00 | e Vitara, Invicto, Brezza, Dzire, Baleno |
| Hyundai | Venue (31.15) | 44.46 | Tucson |
| Skoda | Kylaq (30.88) | 45.00 | None |
| Toyota | Innova Hycross (30.47) | 45.00 | None |
Top 7 Safest Car Brands in India
1. Tata Motors
Tata opened the Bharat NCAP era in December 2023, when the Safari and Harrier became the first cars rated (30.08 AOP, 44.54 COP). It now has 11 rated models.
The Harrier.EV, rated from June 2025, took full marks in both crash tests for 32.00 AOP, plus 45.00 COP. The Sierra followed in March 2026 with 31.14 AOP and 44.73 COP. The facelifted Punch.ev scored 31.09 AOP in July 2026, slightly below the 31.46 its predecessor managed in 2024.
Pick Tata for a rated option in almost every body style.
2. Mahindra
The XEV 9e, rated from January 2025, matches the Harrier.EV at 32.00 AOP and 45.00 COP. Its sibling, the BE 6, lost three-hundredths of a point in the frontal test for 31.97. The Thar Roxx (31.09), XUV 7XO (30.76), XUV400 (30.38) and XUV 3XO (29.36) complete the list.
Best for buyers who want a tested SUV. Not for anyone after a hatchback or sedan, since Mahindra sells neither.
3. Maruti Suzuki
The Victoris leads with 31.66 AOP and 43.00 COP, followed by the e Vitara (31.49 AOP) and Invicto (30.43 AOP, 44.90 COP). The Dzire scored 29.46, and the facelifted Brezza 30.41 from July 2026.
The Baleno is the weak spot. Its two-airbag version scored 24.04 AOP and its six-airbag version 26.52, and both got four stars.
Pick Maruti for a hybrid or electric SUV scoring over 31. Skip the Baleno if five stars is your cut-off.
4. Kia
The new Seltos, rated from March 2026, scored 31.70 AOP (15.70 frontal, 16.00 side) and 45.00 COP. No petrol or diesel car has done better. The smaller Syros scored 30.21 AOP and 44.42 COP, with its rating covering the petrol range.
Choose Kia for a petrol or diesel SUV with a near-perfect adult score. Check the Syros table if you want a diesel.
5. Hyundai
The new Venue, rated from March 2026 in diesel manual and automatic form, scored 31.15 AOP and 44.46 COP. The Tucson (30.84 AOP) left showrooms in late 2025.
Pick Hyundai for a compact SUV with a 31-plus adult score. Accept that the Venue is its only rated car on sale.
6. Skoda
The Kylaq, rated from January 2025, scored 30.88 AOP (15.04 frontal, 15.84 side) and 45.00 COP as the 1.0 TSI Prestige manual. The Slavia and Kushaq's five stars come from Global NCAP, which does not count here. Best for a sub-four-metre turbo-petrol SUV.
7. Toyota
The Innova Hycross, rated from June 2025 in petrol and strong-hybrid form, scored 30.47 AOP and 45.00 COP. It is the only three-row MPV in our top seven, apart from its Maruti twin, the Invicto.
Pick it if your family needs a third row. The Renault Duster and Nissan Tekton beat it by 0.02 points in COP and are comparable options.
A Final Word
Crash protection belongs to a bodyshell and variant, not a badge. Choose Tata or Mahindra for a perfect 32 and the most rated models, Maruti for the Victoris, Kia for the Seltos, Hyundai for the Venue, Skoda for the Kylaq, or Toyota for a three-row Hycross.
Download the fact sheet before you sign… And keep in mind that even among the safest car brands in India, those ratings only count when the belts are on.
FAQs
Which are the safest car brands in India in 2026?
According to Bharat NCAP results up to September 2026, the safest car brands in India are Tata Motors, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, Kia, Hyundai, Skoda and Toyota.
Which car has the highest Bharat NCAP rating score in India?
The Tata Harrier.EV and Mahindra XEV 9e share the top Bharat NCAP rating score: 32 out of 32 for adults and 45 out of 49 for children. The Mahindra BE 6 is third at 31.97.
What is the difference between Global NCAP vs Bharat NCAP ratings?
Bharat NCAP is India's official programme, running since October 1, 2023. Global NCAP ran independent India tests from 2014 under a different protocol, so their star ratings cannot be compared.
Does a Bharat NCAP rating cover every variant of a car?
No, It only covers the ones listed on the Bharat NCAP website. For example the Kia Syros rating covers its petrol range, and the Baleno has separate four-star results for its two-airbag and six-airbag versions.
What crash test speeds does Bharat NCAP use?
A 64 km/h frontal offset crash and a 50 km/h side barrier crash, each worth 16 points, plus a 29 km/h side pole test needed for five stars.
