Why did the same Made-in-India e-Vitara receive different star ratings under Bharat NCAP and ANCAP
How the absence of rear Autonomous Emergency Braking and driver monitoring sensors specifically cost the e-Vitara a fifth star under ANCAP
Two Programmes, Two Philosophies
At first glance, it seems puzzling. The Maruti Suzuki e-Vitara earns five stars under Bharat NCAP, gets shipped to Australia wearing the exact same sheet metal and construction, and then collects only four stars from ANCAP. No changes to the structure. No different materials. So what accounts for the gap?
The answer is found entirely in what each programme measures. Bharat NCAP, much like Global NCAP, is primarily concerned with how well a car protects its occupants once a collision has already happened.
ANCAP goes a step further, rigorously evaluating whether a car can prevent the crash from occurring at all. It is also worth noting that ANCAP integrates Euro NCAP results as part of a shared protocol, which raises the bar considerably.
The e-Vitara finished with 77 per cent in Adult Occupant Protection, 87 per cent in Child Occupant Protection, 79 per cent in Vulnerable Road User protection, and 71 per cent in Safety Assist, all of which adds up to four stars, not five.
Adult Occupant Protection, More Tests, More Exposure
Bharat NCAP's Adult Occupant Protection assessment includes a frontal offset deformable barrier test and a side movable deformable barrier test. ANCAP incorporates those and adds a full-width frontal test, an oblique pole test, whiplash protection, a far-side impact assessment, and a rescue and extrication evaluation. More tests inevitably mean more opportunities for shortcomings to surface.
The e-Vitara scored 31 out of 40 points in this category. Driver chest protection in the frontal offset test was rated as marginal, and in the full-width frontal test, it was rated as weak. The rear passenger's head and chest protection also came in at marginal in the latter scenario.
Side impact and oblique pole tests, on the other hand, returned good ratings across all body regions, which confirms that the car's structure is fundamentally sound, even if specific scenarios exposed areas that could be better.
Child Occupant Protection and the CPD Gap
Both programmes test Child Restraint System installation using 18-month-old and three-year-old dummies. ANCAP extends this by testing with six- and ten-year-old dummies as well, and it factors in on-board technology such as Child Presence Detection systems.
The e-Vitara scored a strong 43 out of 49 points here, performing well across all dynamic and side tests, but it lost marks in the onboard safety feature assessment because it is not fitted with a CPD system.
Vulnerable Road Users, Where the Rear AEB Miss Hurts Most
This is arguably the most significant area of divergence between the two programmes. ANCAP includes a comprehensive Vulnerable Road User assessment, evaluating the harm a car might inflict on pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. It tests head, pelvis, femur, knee, and tibia protection, and it assesses ADAS features, including AEB for pedestrians moving forward, AEB for cyclists, and AEB for motorcyclists, along with Lane Support System evaluations.
The specific figure that stands out is the reverse pedestrian AEB score. The e-Vitara returned zero out of two in that test. The car does not have a rear anti-collision system, so when ANCAP tested for it, there was simply nothing there to evaluate. This is a test Bharat NCAP does not conduct at all, which explains clearly why the same car scores so differently under the two regimes.
Safety Assist, Driver Monitoring Remains Absent
Under the Safety Assist category, the e-Vitara scored 12.78 out of 18 points. It performed reasonably well in seatbelt reminders, car-to-car AEB, lane support, junction and crossing AEB, and speed assistance.
But driver monitoring returned a score of zero out of two; the car simply is not equipped with the sensors this assessment requires. In an era where ANCAP is increasingly treating active safety technology as central to its ratings, this absence carries real consequences.
What the Ratings Actually Tell Us About Each Market
Both Bharat NCAP and ANCAP are credible, stringent programmes, and having any crash test protocol is better than having none. The key difference is structural. Bharat NCAP tests are voluntary; manufacturers choose to submit their cars.
ANCAP, in most cases, purchases its test vehicles independently, which adds a layer of impartiality to the process. More importantly, BNCAP primarily measures structural survivability, while ANCAP evaluates the full picture of how a crash is prevented.
The e-Vitara's four-star ANCAP result is not an indictment of how it is built. It reflects the gap between what the Indian market currently demands and what a more mature, technology-focused safety regime considers the minimum standard.
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