The Indian car market has seen an immense amount of growth over the last few years. Most major automakers have set up manufacturing facilities in India to fulfil the rise in demand while lowering production costs at the same time. With over 2.7 million units sold in FY 2020-21 alone, more and more Indians are upgrading from 2 wheelers to cars. The government has also been consistently building better roads and improving connectivity. However, one very important thing that doesn’t get enough attention from consumers or the government or consumers is safety. This is why we have compiled this list of the safest cars in India under 10 lakhs 2021 for you.
Why safety features in cars are optional?
There are quite a few automakers in India who have been known to make some of the safest cars globally. But when it comes to producing cars for India, they tend to not focus on the safety equipment and features that much. It is not like the automakers want to produce less safe cars, it is more about the lax safety regulations in India that allow it and the consumers’ desire for the highest amount of creature comforts and features at the most affordable price tag. While choosing which car to purchase in India, consumers want the latest communication tech, high-end multimedia systems, alloy wheels, climate control etc but they hardly give a passing glance to the safety features.
What difference can these safety features make?
Indian consumers have the tendency to ignore the most crucial aspect when buying a new car, the safety equipment and features. Even today, terms like ABS, airbags, EBD, and EBD can sound alien to them. According to the data published by WHO, there have been 238,562 fatalities in India due to road accidents in 2013 alone. These safety features and technologies are genuinely lifesaving, and can greatly improve one’s chances of walking away from a big accident.
Safest cars in India under 10 lakhs in 2021
After doing some research, we have come up with this list of cars in India that comes with the basic safety features across all their variants while being within your budget. They will not break the bank if you plan to buy one of the following cars.
List of Top 10 Most Safe Cars in India under 10 lakhs in 2021
Mahindra XUV300 (Global NCAP rating: 5 stars)
The first car on our list of safest cars in India under 10 lakhs in 2021 is the Mahindra XUV300, which turned out to be the safest car from an Indian manufacturer ever. It has received the full 5-star rating from Global NCAP in adult protection, scoring 16.42 out of 17 points. For child protection, it received a 4-star rating with a score of 37.44 out of 49 points. The subcompact SUV even won the first-ever Safer Choice Award from Global NCAP. The XUV300 comes with safety features like seven airbags, ESP, ABS with EBD, hill start assist, corner braking control, front parking sensors, a rear parking camera with dynamic assist, ISOFIX mounts, disc brakes on all 4 wheels, and heated ORVMs. The XUV300’s comprehensive safety kit makes it among the safest cars in India below 10 lakh rupees.
Tata Nexon (Global NCAP rating: 5 stars)
The Tata Nexon is next in our list of safest cars in India under 10 lakhs in 2021, which was the first Indian car to score the full 5-star rating in Global NCAP’s crash tests. The Nexon scored 5 stars in adult protection with 16.6 out of 17 points and 3 stars in child protection with a score of 25 out of 49 points. This makes it the safest car in India under 10 lakh after the Mahindra XUV300. The Nexon’s safety equipment list includes dual front airbags, ESP, ABS with EBD, electronic traction control, emergency braking assist, hill hold assist, brake disc wiping, reverse parking camera, and ISOFIX mounts.
Tata Altroz (Global NCAP rating: 5 stars)
The Tata Altroz is the second car from the Indian automaker to make it to this list of safest cars in India under 10 lakhs 2021. In fact, it is the only hatchback from the B2 segment that has a 5-star crash test safety rating from Global NCAP. It scored 5 stars 16.13 out of 17 points in adult production and 3 stars in child protection with 29 out of 49 points. The Altroz comes fitted with safety equipment like dual front airbags, ESP, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX mounts, voice alerts, height-adjustable seat belts, reverse parking camera, and parking assistance.
VW Polo (Global NCAP rating: 4 stars)
Coming in next on our list of Safest Cars in India under 10 lakh 2021 is the Volkswagen Polo. The Polo has been on sale for over a decade now but still remains among the safest cars in its segment. The hatchback received a 4-star rating from Global NCAP with a score of 12.54 out of 17 in adult protection and a 3-star rating for child protection with a score of 29.91 out of 49. The Polo comes kitted with standard safety features like dual front airbags, ABS, speed-sensing door locks, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking sensors, rear defogger, and a rear windshield wiper.
Tata Tiago/Tigor (Global NCAP rating: 4 stars)
Tata’s Tigor and Tiago siblings are next on our list of Safest Cars In India Under 10 Lakhs. The duo received a 4-star rating in adult protection from Global NCAP, scoring 12.52 out of 17 points. For child protection, the Tigor and Tiago both received a 3-star rating, scoring 34.15 out of 49 points. This makes the Tata siblings the safest models in their respective segments. Standard safety features in the Tata vehicles include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, corner stability control, rear parking sensors and camera, follow me home lamps, speed-sensitive auto door locking, and a rear wash wiper with defogger.
Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza (Global NCAP Rating:4 Stars)
Though Maruti’s products aren’t the safest models around, the Vitara Brezza makes it to our list of Safest Cars In India Under 10 Lakhs 2021. The subcompact SUV scored 12.51 out of 17 points in adult protection and 17.93 out of 49 points in child protection, giving it a 4-star and 2-star rating from Global NCAP, respectively. The highest-selling car in its segment, the Vitara Brezza comes with standard safety features like dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, hill hold assist, high-speed warning alerts, seatbelt reminder for front passengers, ISOFIX mounts, and reverse parking sensors and camera.
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga (Global NCAP rating: 3 stars)
The Maruti Ertiga is the second model from the Indian auto giant that makes it our list of safest cars in India under 10 lakhs in 2021. The MPV has received a pretty mediocre rating of 3-stars from Global NCAP in both adult and child protection. It scored 9.15 out of 17 points for adult protection and 25.16 out of 49 points for child protection. Standard safety equipment for the Ertiga include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP, hill hold assist, high-speed warning alerts, seatbelt reminder for front passengers, reverse parking sensors and camera, and ISOFIX mounts.
Ford Figo Aspire (Global NCAP rating: 3 stars)
The Ford Figo Aspire is next on our list of Safest Cars In India Under 10 Lakhs. The sedan received a 3-star rating from Global NCAP for adult protection with a score of 10.49 out of 17 points. For child protection, it scored only 14.22 out of 49 points, receiving a 2-star rating. The Figo Aspire comes fitted with safety features like dual front airbags, side and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD, seat belt reminder, high-speed sensing alert system, door ajar alarm, rear parking camera and sensors, and a perimeter alarm.
Renault Duster (Global NCAP rating 3 stars)
The last car to make our list of Safest Cars In India Under 10 Lakhs 2021 is the Renault Duster. The compact SUV received 3-stars from Global NCAP for adult protection with a score of 9 out of 17 points. For child protection, it received just 2-stars with a score of 17 out of 49 points. Standard safety features on the Duster include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP, hill-start assist, and pedestrian protection.
Honourable Mention - Mahindra Marazzo (Global NCAP rating: 4 stars)
The Mahindra Marazzo receives an honourable mention on our list of Safest Cars in India under 10 lakh rupees. Technically, prices for the Marazzo start from Rs 12.03 lakh, ex-showroom. However, Mahindra regularly keeps offering lucrative discounts and deals for the MPV, effectively lowering its price to just around Rs 10 lakh. The Marazzo has received a 4-star rating from Global NCAP, scoring 4 stars in adult production with a score of 12.85 out of 17 and 2 stars in child protection with a score of 22.22 out of 49. The standard safety kit on the Marrazo includes dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, disc brakes on all wheels, rear parking sensors and camera, cornering lamps, ISOFIX mounts, speed-sensing door locks, and emergency calls.
Global NCAP crash-test scores give us a true picture of the safest cars in India. In the wake of multiple Indian car models failing the NCAP crash tests, automakers like Honda have committed to making airbags and ABS standard equipment in all their models. The importance of these safety features is usually not seen by Indian consumers at first, but they need to know that how lifesaving these features can be in the event of an accident. We made this list to shine a light upon the Safest Cars In India Under 10 Lakhs and hope it comes useful to you.
