Safety is a much bigger concern among Indian car buyers these days, and to help guide them towards the safest cars currently on sale, the government launched the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) in 2023. Essentially a domestic adaptation of the long-running Global NCAP with full parity in testing standards, Bharat NCAP has evaluated 21 cars to date.
Listed below are the top five cars with a 5-star safety rating in India, as tested by Bharat NCAP, ranked in ascending order by their adult occupant protection (AOP) scores. Child occupant protection (COP) scores haven’t been considered in the rankings, as all but one of these cars achieved 45 points out of 49.
5. Tata Punch EV
AOP score: 31.46/32
Having scored five stars in May 2024, the Punch EV was among the very first electric cars to undergo Bharat NCAP testing. Tata equips the Punch EV with safety features such as six airbags, ESP, hill-hold control, ISOFIX child seat anchors, rear parking sensors and a tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) as standard.
4. Maruti Victoris
AOP score: 31.66/32
Bharat NCAP announced test results for Maruti’s latest midsize SUV, the Victoris, on September 3, the same day the Hyundai Creta rival made its official debut. The Maruti Grand Vitara’s sibling has six airbags, 3-point seatbelts with reminders for all passengers, ESC and ISOFIX anchors as standard, though BNCAP tested its top-spec ZX+ and ZX+(O) trims, which additionally get an ADAS suite. Interestingly, the Maruti Victoris is the only model with a lower child occupant protection score of 43/49 in this list, while the others scored 45/49.
3. Mahindra BE 6
AOP score: 31.97/32
The BE 6 is one of Mahindra’s two debut born-EVs, and it achieved a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating in January 2025. Though the range-topping BE 6 Pack Three trim was tested, the rating applies to the electric SUV’s entire variant portfolio. In terms of standard safety equipment, the BE 6 comes with six airbags, a rear camera, parking sensors, a tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS), a driver drowsiness detection system, and more.
2. Mahindra XEV 9e
AOP score: 32/32
Mahindra’s other debut born-EV, the XEV 9e, was awarded a 5-star rating in Bharat NCAP crash tests alongside the BE 6. The XEV 9e is the first car on this list to hold a full 32/32 score in AOP, and the variant tested was the top-spec Pack Three. The rating extends to the electric coupe-SUV’s entire line-up. Safety features like six airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchors, rear disc brakes, and a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) are offered from the base XEV 9e Pack One trim itself.
1. Tata Harrier EV
AOP score: 32/32
Tata’s latest electric car, the Harrier EV, was rated 5 stars in Bharat NCAP testing in June 2025. The Harrier EV is the second vehicle tested by Bharat NCAP to secure maximum points in AOP, and it comes equipped with six airbags as standard, 3-point seatbelts with reminders for all seats, ESC, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and more.
Uday Singh
Glenn Noronha
Dipan Sur
