India has announced its inaugural car safety rating program, called the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP). This program, inspired from the Global NCAP, has been updated to align with India’s distinct safety standards and is ready to crash tests for over three dozen vehicles on December 15th. Tata Motors is sending the newly introduced the Harrier and Safari facelifts for the initial round of crash testing, while Mahindra will send four models for evaluation. Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai have also nominated three models for testing. The Tucson will be the first Hyundai to be tested under the Bharat NCAP crash test, followed by the newly launched Exter micro SUV.
The Hyundai Tucson is the brand’s flagship model and is expected to secure high safety ratings. It comes equipped with features like six airbags, ESP and traction control as standard, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) on the top-spec model. These safety features are mandatory to secure high crash test ratings.
The newly launched Hyundai Tucson is already on sale in select international markets. The SUV has secured 5-star crash test rating in the Euro NCAP and 3 stars in Latin NCAP. In the both tests, the Tucson’s bodyshell and footwell area were found stable. Adding to it, the Hyundai Tucson has performed really well in side pole impact tests as it offers advanced driver assistance systems including lane assist and autonomous emergency braking.
Hyundai would aim to achieve full 5-star rating for the new Tucson from Bharat NCAP. It comes fitted with six airbags, ABS, ESC, 3-point seat belts and seatbelt reminders as standard. The newly launched Hyundai Verna mid-sized sedan has also received 5-star crash test rating in Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Program).
The new Hyundai Exter sub-4 meter SUV also comes with essential safety features including 6 airbags, ABS with EBD and others, except for Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The new Exter is also expected to receive good safety ratings in the Bharat NCAP crash test. If reports are to be believed, the crash testing of vehicles under Bharat NCAP is expected to start around mid-December, and the results are expected to be announced by early next year.
