5-Star Bharat NCAP-Rated SUVs Under Rs 15 Lakh in India (2026)

Ten SUVs priced under Rs 15 lakh hold 5-star Bharat NCAP ratings for both adult and child protection. The Kia Seltos leads on adult protection with 31.70 out of 32, followed by the Maruti Victoris on 31.66, the Hyundai Venue on 31.15 and the Tata Sierra on 31.14. The Tata Punch is the cheapest of them, from Rs 5.75 lakh.

One detail decides whether the badge applies to the car you actually buy. Bharat NCAP publishes a list of variants each rating extends to, and that list does not always cover every engine. The Maruti Victoris and Maruti Brezza ratings cover their petrol variants but not their S-CNG variants, and the Kia Syros rating covers only its turbo-petrol family, not the diesel. Those gaps are set out per car below.

How to read a Bharat NCAP rating

Bharat NCAP scores adult occupant protection out of 32 and child occupant protection out of 49, and awards stars for each separately. Here, 5-star means 5 stars for both. Under Rs 15 lakh means at least one rated variant is priced below that figure, ex-showroom.

5-star rated SUVs under Rs 15 lakh at a glance

SUV	Bharat NCAP (adult / child)	Airbags	ADAS under Rs 15 lakh	Rated variants under Rs 15 lakh
Kia Seltos	31.70/32, 45/49	6	No	Rs 11.25 lakh to Rs 14.72 lakh
Maruti Victoris	31.66/32, 43/49	6	No	Rs 10.50 lakh to Rs 13.84 lakh
Hyundai Venue	31.15/32, 44.46/49	6	Yes, Level 2	Rs 8.00 lakh to Rs 14.68 lakh
Tata Sierra	31.14/32, 44.73/49	6	No	Rs 11.49 lakh to Rs 14.99 lakh
Mahindra Thar Roxx	31.09/32, 45/49	6	No	Rs 12.52 lakh to Rs 14.23 lakh
Skoda Kylaq	30.88/32, 45/49	6	No	Rs 7.59 lakh to Rs 12.85 lakh
Tata Punch	30.58/32, 45/49	6	No	Rs 5.75 lakh to Rs 10.77 lakh
Renault Duster	30.49/32, 45/49	6	No	Rs 10.49 lakh to Rs 14.49 lakh
Maruti Brezza	30.41/32, 43/49	6	No	Rs 7.50 lakh to Rs 13.71 lakh
Kia Syros	30.21/32, 44.42/49	6	No	Rs 8.42 lakh to Rs 14.99 lakh
Prices are ex-showroom Delhi and were checked on 12 October 2026. Confirm current pricing with your dealer.

Which engines each rating actually covers

SUV	Engines covered by the rating	Not covered
Kia Seltos	1.5 petrol, 1.5 turbo petrol, 1.5 diesel	None
Maruti Victoris	1.5 petrol 5MT, 1.5 petrol 6AT, 1.5 strong hybrid eCVT	S-CNG
Hyundai Venue	1.2 petrol MT, 1.0 turbo MT, 1.0 turbo DCT, 1.5 diesel MT and AT	None
Tata Sierra	Petrol and diesel families	None
Mahindra Thar Roxx	Petrol and diesel families	None
Skoda Kylaq	1.0 TSI manual and automatic	Classic automatic
Tata Punch	Petrol and CNG families	None
Renault Duster	1.0 turbo, 1.3 turbo, 1.3 turbo DCT	None
Maruti Brezza	1.5 petrol 6MT and 6AT, 1.0 turbo 6MT	S-CNG
Kia Syros	1.0 turbo petrol	1.5 diesel

The ten SUVs in detail

Features below describe the highest rated variant available under Rs 15 lakh.

1. Kia Seltos

The highest adult-protection score of any SUV tested by Bharat NCAP to date. Six airbags are standard and the rating spans every engine and gearbox, from the 1.5 petrol manual to the diesel automatic.

The 1.5 petrol makes 115 PS, the 1.5 turbo petrol 160 PS and 253 Nm, and the 1.5 diesel 116 PS. Mileage runs roughly 17 to 20.7 km/l. Under Rs 15 lakh you get electronic stability control, ABS with EBD, traction control, hill assist and disc brakes all round, but ADAS stays on the pricier trims.

2. Maruti Victoris

Maruti's strongest crash result, and it also earned 5 stars at Global NCAP with 33.72 out of 34 for adults and 41 out of 49 for children. Six airbags are standard, and Bharat NCAP extends the rating from the base LXI up to the ZXI+ 4WD.

The 1.5-litre K15C petrol makes 75.8 kW (103.06 PS) and 139 Nm, and the strong hybrid pairs a 68 kW (92.45 PS) engine with an electric motor. Claimed mileage is 21.18 km/l for the petrol manual, 21.06 km/l automatic and 28.65 km/l for the strong hybrid.

Worth knowing: the S-CNG, which Maruti rates at 27.02 km/kg, sits outside the list of variants the 5-star rating covers.

3. Hyundai Venue

The only SUV here that gives you Level 2 ADAS below Rs 15 lakh, and its rating covers both petrol and diesel families, the turbo DCT included. That matters, because the ADAS variant is one of the covered ones.

Engines are a 1.2 petrol, a 1.0 turbo petrol with about 118 bhp and 172 Nm, and a 1.5 diesel with about 114 bhp and 250 Nm. The assistance suite runs to forward collision-avoidance assist, lane keeping and lane following assist, smart cruise control with stop and go, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, and a surround view monitor.

4. Tata Sierra

A 44.73 child score, the second highest here. The rating covers both the petrol and diesel families across manual, DCA and automatic gearboxes.

The 1.5 turbo petrol makes 158 bhp and 255 Nm and the 1.5 diesel 116 bhp and 280 Nm, with claimed diesel mileage up to 21.26 km/l. Safety kit includes an electronic stability program, an electronic parking brake with auto hold, disc brakes at all four wheels, tyre pressure monitoring and hill descent control.

5. Mahindra Thar Roxx

A genuine off-roader with a 5-star rating, covering the diesel and petrol families in rear-wheel drive and 4WD. Under Rs 15 lakh you are in MX trim, which means the crash structure and six airbags but not the ADAS or the 360-degree camera.

The 2.0 turbo petrol makes up to 174 bhp and the 2.2 diesel up to 172 bhp and 400 Nm. Mileage is the weak point at roughly 12.4 to 15.2 km/l.

6. Skoda Kylaq

The cheapest 5-star SUV on sale, from Rs 7.59 lakh, with a 45 out of 49 child score. The rating covers Classic, Signature, Signature+ and Prestige in manual, and Signature upwards in automatic.

The 1.0 TSI turbo petrol makes 115 PS and 178 Nm and claims 19.05 to 19.68 km/l. Standard kit includes electronic stability control, roll over protection, hill hold, multi-collision braking, XDS+ and ISOFIX. There is no ADAS at any price.

7. Tata Punch

The most affordable 5-star SUV here, from Rs 5.75 lakh, with 45 out of 49 for children. The rating covers both the petrol and the CNG families, which is unusual and useful if you want a CNG car with a verified crash result.

The 1.2 Revotron petrol makes 88 PS, the turbo 120 PS and 170 Nm, and the iCNG claims 26.99 km/kg. Kit includes an electronic stability program, hill hold, hill descent control, a 360-degree surround view system and ISOFIX.

8. Renault Duster

A 45 out of 49 child score, with the rating covering the 1.0 turbo, the 1.3 turbo and the 1.3 turbo DCT. The 1.0 TCe makes 100 hp and 160 Nm, the 1.3 TCe 163 hp and 280 Nm, and claimed mileage is about 17.75 to 18.45 km/l.

Safety equipment under Rs 15 lakh is basic by this list's standards: electronic stability control, ABS with EBD and hill hold assist.

9. Maruti Brezza

Six airbags are standard and the rating covers the 1.5 petrol in manual and automatic plus the 1.0 turbo manual, from LXI up to ZXI+. Every rated variant falls under Rs 15 lakh.

The 1.5 K15C makes 75.8 kW (103.05 PS) and 139 Nm, the 1.0 K10C DiTC turbo 81 kW (110.12 PS) and 170 Nm. Claimed mileage is 20.17 to 21.09 km/l for the 1.5 and 19.96 to 20.47 km/l for the turbo.

As with the Victoris, the S-CNG variant, which claims 26.90 km/kg, is not among the variants the rating covers.

10. Kia Syros

A 12.3-inch twin-screen cabin and a 5-star rating, but read the fine print: Bharat NCAP lists only the 1.0 turbo-petrol family. The 1.5 diesel, at 116 PS and 250 Nm, is not covered.

The turbo petrol makes 120 PS and 172 Nm with a 6-speed manual or 7-speed DCT, claiming 17.65 to 20.75 km/l. Electronic stability control and hill-start assist are standard.

FAQs

Which SUV under Rs 15 lakh has the highest Bharat NCAP score?

The Kia Seltos, with 31.70 out of 32 for adults and 45 out of 49 for children. The Maruti Victoris is next on adult protection with 31.66, and the Tata Sierra has the best child score of the group after the 45-pointers at 44.73.

Which of these SUVs offers ADAS under Rs 15 lakh?

Only the Hyundai Venue. Its Level 2 suite arrives on the 1.0 turbo DCT, which is one of the variants the 5-star rating covers. The Seltos, Victoris, Sierra, Thar Roxx and Duster offer driver assistance only above Rs 15 lakh, and the Kylaq, Punch, Brezza and Syros do not offer it at all.

Which Maruti SUVs are 5-star rated and under Rs 15 lakh?

The Victoris and the Brezza. In both cases the rating covers the petrol variants, including the Victoris strong hybrid, but not the S-CNG. The Fronx, Grand Vitara and Jimny have no Bharat NCAP rating, and the e Vitara starts above this budget at Rs 16.19 lakh.

Does a 5-star rating apply to every variant?

No, and this is the single most useful thing to check. Bharat NCAP publishes a ratings applicability table naming the engines, gearboxes and trims each result extends to. On this list the Victoris and Brezza exclude CNG, the Syros excludes diesel and the Kylaq excludes the Classic automatic.

Is a CNG SUV with a 5-star rating available under Rs 15 lakh?

Yes, the Tata Punch. Its rating covers the CNG family as well as the petrol family, which the Victoris and Brezza ratings do not.

Can I compare Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP scores?

Not directly. The protocols and maximums differ, with adult protection scored out of 32 at Bharat NCAP and out of 34 at Global NCAP. Read each against its own scale.