10 Safest SUVs in India (2026)

All ten SUVs here hold 5-star Bharat NCAP ratings for both adults and children, but the ratings are not equal and they are not universal. The Tata Harrier.ev and Mahindra XEV 9e tie on a perfect 32.00 of 32 for adults. The detail most buyers miss is that Bharat NCAP rates named variants, not whole model ranges: the Maruti Brezza's 5 stars were earned on the ZXI+ 1.5L 6AT and the e Vitara's on the Alpha 61 kWh, so the trim you actually buy matters as much as the badge.

Two SUVs share the top of India's crash-test table: the Tata Harrier.ev and the Mahindra XEV 9e both scored a perfect 32.00 out of 32 for adult protection and 45 out of 49 for child protection at Bharat NCAP. The Mahindra BE 6 sits just behind on 31.97, and the Kia Seltos leads the petrol and diesel SUVs on 31.70. Three Maruti SUVs also hold 5 stars for both adults and children: the Victoris (31.66), the e Vitara (31.49) and the Brezza (30.41). All ten SUVs below are 5-star rated for adults and children.

Bharat NCAP scores adult protection out of 32 and child protection out of 49. A rating belongs to the specific tested variant, not the model as a whole, so the trim you buy matters as much as the star count. The table below gives each SUV's score, airbag count, driver-assistance level and price. The section after it lists exactly which variants each rating covers.

Top picks at a glance

SUV	Bharat NCAP (adult / child)	Airbags	ADAS	Price range (ex-showroom)
Tata Harrier.ev	32.00/32, 45/49	6, 7 on Fearless+ and above	Level 2	Rs 21.79 lakh to Rs 29.29 lakh
Mahindra XEV 9e	32.00/32, 45/49	6, 7 on Pack Three Select and above	Level 2	Rs 21.90 lakh to Rs 30.50 lakh
Mahindra BE 6	31.97/32, 45/49	6, 7 on Pack Three Select and above	Level 2	Rs 18.90 lakh to Rs 26.90 lakh
Kia Seltos	31.70/32, 45/49	6	Level 2+	Rs 11.00 lakh to Rs 21.82 lakh
Maruti Victoris	31.66/32, 43/49	6	Level 2	Rs 10.50 lakh to Rs 19.99 lakh
Maruti e Vitara	31.49/32, 43/49	7	Level 2	Rs 16.19 lakh to Rs 19.99 lakh
Tata Punch.ev	31.09/32, 45/49	6	No ADAS	Rs 9.79 lakh to Rs 12.99 lakh
Mahindra Thar Roxx	31.09/32, 45/49	6	Level 2	Rs 12.52 lakh to Rs 23.53 lakh
Skoda Kylaq	30.88/32, 45/49	6	No ADAS	Rs 7.59 lakh to Rs 13.09 lakh
Maruti Brezza	30.41/32, 43/49	6	No ADAS	Rs 7.50 lakh to Rs 13.71 lakh
Prices are ex-showroom Delhi and were checked on 12 October 2026. They change often and vary by city, so confirm with your dealer.

Which variants each rating covers

This is the part most buyers miss. Bharat NCAP tests named variants and publishes the list of variants each result extends to. A 5-star model can still be sold in a trim the rating never covered.

SUV	Variant tested by Bharat NCAP	Rated from
Tata Harrier.ev	EMP 75 and EMP 75 AWD	June 2025
Mahindra XEV 9e	Three B79	January 2025
Mahindra BE 6	Three B79	January 2025
Kia Seltos	HTE (O) and GTX (D1.5 CRDi VGT 6AT)	March 2026
Maruti Victoris	ZXI+ Strong Hybrid eCVT, ZXI+(O) Strong Hybrid eCVT and ZXI+(O) 6AT	September 2025
Maruti e Vitara	Alpha 61 kWh	December 2025
Tata Punch.ev	ADV 40 and EMP+S 40	July 2026
Mahindra Thar Roxx	AX5L and MX3	November 2024
Skoda Kylaq	Prestige MT	January 2025
Maruti Brezza	ZXI+ 1.5L 6AT	July 2026
Check the Bharat NCAP listing for the exact variant you plan to buy before you sign anything.

The ten safest SUVs in India

Safety kit below reflects the higher variants of each car. Lower trims drop some of it.

1. Tata Harrier.ev

A perfect adult score. The Harrier.ev carries 6 airbags as standard, adds a seventh knee airbag from the Fearless+ trim up, and Level 2 ADAS arrives on the Empowered variants.

Single-motor cars are rear-wheel drive, with a 65 kWh or 75 kWh battery and a 238 PS rear motor. The dual-motor Empowered 75 AWD adds a 158 PS front motor for 504 Nm combined. Claimed range runs from 538 km to 627 km.

Safety kit includes a 540-degree camera with a transparent bonnet view, blind spot monitor, auto park assist, a driver doze-off alert, electronic stability control and parking sensors at both ends. The AWD adds six terrain modes and off-road assist.

2. Mahindra XEV 9e

The other 32.00 car. Lower packs get six airbags; Pack Three Select and above get 7, with Level 2 ADAS running on 5 radars, 6 cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors in its fullest form.

A 59 kWh battery pairs with a 170 kW motor, or 79 kWh with 210 kW, both producing 380 Nm. Claimed range is 542 km and 656 km, and a 20 to 80 percent DC charge takes about 20 minutes.

Beyond ADAS you get a 360-degree camera, semi-autonomous parking, driver drowsiness detection, ESP, an electronic parking brake and tyre pressure monitoring.

3. Mahindra BE 6

Mechanically the XEV 9e's twin, sitting 0.03 points behind it on adult protection. Battery and motor pairings are the same, torque is the same 380 Nm, and claimed range is slightly longer at 556 km and 683 km.

Level 2 ADAS starts from Pack Two. The safety list adds a blind view monitor in the 360-degree camera, auto park assist, drowsiness detection and disc brakes at all four wheels.

4. Kia Seltos

The highest-scoring non-electric SUV here, and the only one with Level 2+ ADAS. Six airbags are standard. Engines are a 115 PS 1.5 petrol, a 160 PS 1.5 turbo petrol and a 116 PS 1.5 diesel, with claimed mileage around 17 to 20.7 km/l.

Its driver-assistance set is the most complete on this list: adaptive cruise with navigation-based corner and speed-limit control, forward collision avoidance including junction crossing and evasive steering assist, lane keep assist, blind spot collision avoidance, rear cross traffic collision avoidance and highway driving assist.

5. Maruti Victoris

Maruti's best Bharat NCAP result, and it also took 5 stars at Global NCAP with 33.72 out of 34 for adults and 41 out of 49 for children. Six airbags are standard across the range.

The 1.5-litre K15C petrol makes 75.8 kW (103.06 PS) and 139 Nm, the strong hybrid pairs a 68 kW (92.45 PS) engine with a 59 kW motor, and the S-CNG makes 64.6 kW (87.8 PS). Claimed mileage is 21.18 km/l for the petrol manual, 21.06 km/l automatic, 19.07 km/l for AllGrip, 28.65 km/l for the strong hybrid and 27.02 km/kg on CNG.

Level 2 ADAS comes on the ZXI+ automatics and brings autonomous emergency braking that recognises cars, motorcycles, pedestrians and bicycles, adaptive cruise with curve speed reduction, lane keep assist, blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert. A 360-degree camera with 11 views, ESP with hill hold and an electronic parking brake round it out.

6. Maruti e Vitara

Seven airbags on every variant, including a driver knee airbag, which is the highest airbag count on this list. Maruti's brochure confirms all three trims carry the full set.

Delta uses a 49 kWh LFP battery with a 105.8 kW motor and claims 440 km. Zeta and Alpha use 61 kWh with 128 kW and claim 543 km. Both produce 193 Nm, and a 10 to 80 percent charge takes about 45 minutes on a 70 kW or faster DC charger.

ESP, ABS with EBD, an electronic parking brake, hill hold, tyre pressure monitoring, ISOFIX, multi-collision braking and an SOS emergency call button are on all three variants. The full Level 2 ADAS suite and the 360-degree camera are limited to the Alpha.

7. Tata Punch.ev

The cheapest 45/49 child score here. Six airbags are standard and there is no ADAS option.

A 40 kWh battery gives 129 PS and a claimed 468 km, while the 30 kWh car makes 88 PS and claims 365 km to 375 km. Both put out 154 Nm, and 65 kW DC charging covers 20 to 80 percent in about 26 minutes.

Kit includes a 360-degree camera with blind view monitor, ESC, an electronic parking brake with auto hold, hill hold, hill descent control and tyre pressure monitoring.

8. Mahindra Thar Roxx

The off-roader that crash-tests well. Six airbags are standard, Level 2 ADAS is on the higher variants, and the four-wheel-drive hardware underneath is unmatched on this list: a 4XPLOR 4WD system with electronic brake-locking and locking differentials, 2H, 4H and 4L modes, CrawlSmart auto crawl, hill descent control, 650 mm wading depth and a 41.7 degree approach angle.

Engines are a 2.0 turbo petrol up to 174 bhp and a 2.2 diesel up to 172 bhp with 400 Nm. Fuel economy is the weakest on this list at roughly 12.4 to 15.2 km/l.

9. Skoda Kylaq

The cheapest 5-star SUV you can buy, starting at Rs 7.59 lakh. Six airbags are standard, along with electronic stability control, roll over protection, hill hold, multi-collision braking, XDS+ and ISOFIX. There is no ADAS.

The 1.0 TSI turbo petrol makes 115 PS and 178 Nm, with a 6-speed manual or torque converter automatic and 19.05 to 19.68 km/l claimed.

10. Maruti Brezza

The lowest adult score here at 30.41, still comfortably a 5-star result. Six airbags are standard across the range, and there is no ADAS option.

Three powertrains: the 1.5 K15C petrol at 75.8 kW (103.05 PS) and 139 Nm, the 1.0 K10C DiTC turbo at 81 kW (110.12 PS) and 170 Nm, and the S-CNG at 64.6 kW (87.8 PS). Claimed mileage runs 20.17 to 21.09 km/l on the 1.5 petrol, 19.96 to 20.47 km/l on the turbo and 26.90 km/kg on CNG.

Safety kit covers blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, a safe exit warning, a 360-degree camera, ESP with hill hold, tyre pressure monitoring and ISOFIX.

Scores and safety kit side by side

SUV	Adult score	Child score	ESC	360-degree camera	Blind spot monitor
Tata Harrier.ev	32.00	45	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mahindra XEV 9e	32.00	45	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mahindra BE 6	31.97	45	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kia Seltos	31.70	45	Yes	Yes	Yes
Maruti Victoris	31.66	43	Yes	Yes	Yes
Maruti e Vitara	31.49	43	Yes	Alpha only	Alpha only
Tata Punch.ev	31.09	45	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mahindra Thar Roxx	31.09	45	Yes	Yes	Yes
Skoda Kylaq	30.88	45	Yes	No	No
Maruti Brezza	30.41	43	Yes	Yes	Yes

FAQs

Which SUV in India has the highest Bharat NCAP score?

The Tata Harrier.ev and the Mahindra XEV 9e tie, both on a maximum 32.00 out of 32 for adults and 45 out of 49 for children. The Mahindra BE 6 is next on 31.97. Among petrol and diesel SUVs the Kia Seltos leads on 31.70 and 45.

Which Maruti SUVs have a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating?

The Victoris, e Vitara and Brezza, each with 5 stars for adults and children. The Victoris rating was earned on its strong hybrid eCVT and ZXI+(O) 6AT variants, the e Vitara's on the Alpha 61 kWh and the Brezza's on the ZXI+ 1.5L 6AT. The Fronx, Grand Vitara and Jimny have no Bharat NCAP rating.

Does a 5-star rating apply to every variant of an SUV?

No. Bharat NCAP tests named variants and publishes the list of variants each rating extends to. Every car here was rated on specific trims, which are listed in the table above, so check the exact variant before you buy.

Which of these SUVs have ADAS?

The Harrier.ev, XEV 9e, BE 6, Seltos, Victoris, e Vitara and Thar Roxx. In each case it is restricted to the higher variants. The Punch.ev, Kylaq and Brezza do not offer it.

Are electric SUVs safer than petrol or diesel SUVs?

Not by default, because a rating belongs to a car, not a fuel type. The three highest scores here are electric, but the Seltos and Thar Roxx match them on child protection, and the electric Punch.ev sits mid-table.

Can I compare Bharat NCAP and Global NCAP scores?

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