The Indian passenger vehicles market is constantly evolving each passing year with a broader range of launches across segments, new advancements in technology and powertrain solutions, as well as growing levels of infrastructure. Out of these, safety was perhaps the most underrated area of improvement that often went unnoticed by the general public. For the longest time, car safety and associated features were either missing from the list of top buyer priorities or were listed so far down, one might as well forget about them altogether. Instead, when it came to buying a new car, conversations among Indian consumers would generally revolve around affordability, mileage, and design, in that exact order.
As of today, however, safety is among the top non-negotiables, with most buyers paying closer attention to crash test ratings from New Car Assessment Programmes such as Global NCAP or Bharat NCAP. So much so that cars with poor safety ratings find it difficult, and rightfully so, to capture a tangible share of the market. If you are currently in the market looking for a new car, you need to be aware of the ones that will protect you in case of mishaps, as well as the ones that do little to keep you safe. To this end, we have compiled a definitive list of cars with the lowest safety ratings that are, somehow, still on sale in India:
Citroen e-C3:
The Citroen e-C3 was given a zero-star rating, having scored a maximum of 20.86 points in adult protection and 10.55 points in child protection. Its poor results were attributed to the weak protection offered to the driver’s and passenger’s chests as well as an absence of side crash protection. Moreover, the child seat was a forward-facing unit that could not protect the child dummy from excessive forward impact.
Maruti Suzuki Alto K10:
The Maruti Alto K10 performed poorly at the Global NCAP in 2023 with just two stars for adult safety and a zero-star rating for child safety. It offered marginal protection to the driver’s and passenger’s chests, while the knees showed weak protection as they could impact dangerous structures behind the front fascia. While it scored 21.67 points for adult protection, it could not surpass 3.52 points for child protection. The child seat was not able to prevent excessive forward movement and exposed the head to a high risk of injury.
Maruti Suzuki WagonR:
The WagonR scored even less, 19.69 points for adult occupant protection and 3.40 points for child protection. These points gave it a 1-star adult protection rating and none for child safety. While it offered good protection to the driver’s and passenger’s head and neck, chest protection was rated as weak. The footwell and bodywell areas were rated as unstable, and knee protection was marginal, with the risk of impacting dangerous structures behind the front fascia.
(Also read: Maruti Suzuki to set up 20 automated driving test tracks in Tamil Nadu)
Maruti Suzuki S-Presso:
The S-Presso scored one star in adult protection with 20.03 points out of 34.00 and zero stars in child protection, accumulating 3.52 points out of 49.00. It offered good protection to the driver’s and passenger’s head and neck region, but lost out with poor chest protection. The footwell and bodywell areas were rated as unstable, while knee protection for both front row occupants remained marginal.
Maruti Suzuki Ignis:
The Maruti Ignis was given 16.48 points in adult protection and 3.86 points in child protection, resulting in a one-star rating for adults and none for child safety. The driver’s and passenger’s heads and necks received good protection and so did the tibias, but the knees were offered marginal protection. While the footwell area was rated as stable, the bodywell was unstable and incapable of withstanding further loadings. In side crash impacts, it was rated poorly and did not offer side head airbags.
In spite of these ratings, Maruti cars are now expected to perform better with the latest updates that include 6 airbags across the board, alongside features that were missing on previous models, such as Electronic Stability Program (ESP), ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, and three-point seatbelts.
Mahindra Bolero Neo:
The Mahindra Bolero Neo returned from the Global NCAP with a one-star safety rating, having scored 20.26 for adult protection and 12.71 for child protection. This is the lowest score any Mahindra SUV has received, attributed to low adult protection in the frontal crash test as well as poor feet and weak chest protection for front row occupants. The agency said the SUV had an unstable structure and an unstable footwell area. It is worth noting that this rating is for the previous Bolero Neo. The SUV was recently updated for the 2025 model year and has not been tested by any NCAP authority yet. However, it is likely to retain a similar rating as no structural changes have been made.
Renault Kwid:
The Renault Kwid received a one-star safety rating from the Global NCAP, having scored 8.28 in adult protection and 10.91 in child protection. Its low scores were attributed to an insufficient chest protection that could not prevent chest compression. The body shell was described as unstable, while the dashboard design is reported to have posed a knee impact risk. The Kwid’s child restraint systems failed to prevent forward movement and head contact, increasing the risk of injury, while a lack of ISOFIX mounts further subtracted from the rating.
