The untimely demise of the former head of Tata Sons, Cyrus Mistry after a fatal accident on National Highway 48 in Maharashtra’s Palghar district reignited debates over road safety regulations in India. While the government is gradually ramping up the minimum safety criteria for vehicles on Indian roads, with six airbags set to become mandatory for all passenger vehicles from October 2023, carmakers have also been doing their bit to make Indian roads safer for their customers. Here’s a list of the safest cars you can buy in India under Rs 15 lakh.
1) Tata Punch (Rs 5.92 lakh)
(5-stars, 5-stars)
While the Tata Punch may be a new entrant on the list, and yet to be proven when it comes to its performance and longevity, it certainly does “pack a punch” so to speak when it comes to safety. The micro-SUV with its two airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, ISOFIX anchors for children, and ABS as standard stands as the safest car in India, with 16.45 points out of 17 for adult protection. For child protection too, it scores a similarly impressive 40.89 points out of 49, giving it a 5-star rating from Global-NCAP.
2) Tata Altroz (Rs 6.29 lakh)
(5-stars, 5-stars)
Hatchbacks are dime a dozen in the Indian auto industry, but most of them leave a lot to be desired when it comes to occupant safety. The Tata Altroz though stands as an exception, scoring 16.13 points out of 17 and 29 points out of 49 in terms of adult and child safety respectively. Equipped with dual front airbags, four-channel ABS, seatbelt pre-tensioners and ISOFIX child seat anchors, the Altroz received a 5-star safety rating overall.
3) Mahindra XUV300 (Rs 8.41 lakh)
(5-star, 4-star)
Over the last decade, Mahindras have reaffirmed their reputation for their overall ruggedness and go-anywhere attitude. The XUV300 is no exception, earning the title of being the second safest vehicle in India. Packed with two front airbags, ABS with EBD, seatbelt pretensioners and more safety equipment, the sub-4m SUV scored 16.42 points out of 17, in terms of adult protection. Similarly, it scored 37.44 points out of 49 in terms of child protection, earning an overall 5-star rating for adults and a 4-star rating for children, from the Global-NCAP.
4) Mahindra XUV700 (Rs 13.18 lakh)
(5-stars, 4-stars)
The second Mahindra on the list, the XUV700 scored a healthy 16.03 points in adult protection and 41.66 points in child safety, bagging a 5-star and 4-star safety rating respectively. While the tested model was equipped with two airbags, the top variant of the SUV comes loaded with seven airbags, including curtain airbags. Safety features here include, level 2 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System), which allows for functionalities like automatic emergency braking, front collision warning, lane keep assist, smart pilot assists, driver drowsiness detection alert and more.
5) Tata Nexon (Rs 7.59 lakh)
(5-stars, 3-stars)
Yet another Tata on the list, the Nexon has been a massive hit in its ICE-powered and electric avatars. Further adding to its merit, it was also the first 5-star safety-rated car, manufactured by an Indian carmaker. When it comes to numbers, the SUV managed to score 16.06 in adult protection and 25 points in child safety, earning a 5-star and 3-star NCAP rating respectively. Safety features on board here include dual front airbags, ISOFIX anchors, seatbelt pre-tensioners and four-channel ABS. Along with it, you also get EBD, traction control, hill hold assist, and crash alert diagnostic report.
6) Toyota Urban Cruiser (Rs 9.02 lakh)
(4-stars, 3-stars)
Toyotas clearly don’t skimp on passenger safety and the Urban Cruiser is a testament to the same. In the crash tests, the SUV managed to score 13.52 points in adult protection and 36.38 points in child safety, earning a 4-star and 3-star rating respectively. Packing features like dual airbags, ABS with EBD, seatbelt pre-tensioners and ISOFIX child seat anchors as standard, the Urban Cruiser comes with a decent suite of safety tech, for its pricing.
7) Honda City (Rs 11.57 lakh)
(4-stars, 4-stars)
Representing Honda in the sea of Tatas and Mahindra’s, the City packs a decent set of safety features for a sedan. Rated at 4-star in adult protection, the City scored 12.03 points. In terms of child safety, the sedan managed a score of 38.27 points out of 49, again earning an overall 4-star rating. Here, safety features include two airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchors and ABS with EBD, all of which come as standard. If you do opt for a higher trim, you get additional safety features such as day and night IVRM, high-speed alert, door ajar warning and more.
Image credits: Toyota, Honda, Mahindra, Tata
