Top 7 Safest Cars Under Rs. 10.0 - 15.0 Lakh - GNCAP Tested

1. Mahindra XUV300

The Mahindra XUV300 is the top performer on this list with an adult safety score of 16.42 points out of 17. The child safety score of the XUV300 is 37.44 out of 49 for a final star rating of 5 for adult safety and 4 in child safety.

It has 5 powertrain options and besides the lower 2 turbo petrol-manual and base turbo diesel-manual variants all cost more than Rs. 10.0 lakh (ex-showroom).

Mahindra XUV300 Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Mahindra XUV300 Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

2. Tata Nexon

Next up, we have the XUV300’s arch rival, the Tata Nexon, which is also the top-selling SUV in its class. The Nexon scored 16.06 points out of 17 for adult safety and 25 points out of 49 in child safety in the GNCAP crash test. The Nexon has a 5-star adult safety rating and 3-star child safety rating.

Only the higher variants with the petrol-manual powertrain and most of the petrol-automatic, diesel-manual and diesel-automatic variants meet the Rs. 10.0 - 15.0 lakh budget range.

Tata Nexon Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Tata Nexon Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

3. Mahindra XUV700

The XUV700 barely missed the 2nd spot with 16.03 points for adult safety with a 5-star safety rating. In terms of child safety, it’s better than the Nexon and XUV300, which are higher up on this list. The XUV700 scored 41.66 points in child safety with a 4-star safety rating.

Only a few variants of the XUV700 with the 5-seat layout fit under the Rs. 15.0 lakh limit while none of the 7-seat variants meet this budget criteria.

Mahindra XUV700 5-Seat Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Mahindra XUV700 5-Seat Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

4. Skoda Kushaq

The GNCAP recently changed some of the testing criteria and based on the new scoring system, the Skoda Kushaq earned 29.64 points in adult safety out of 34. Do note, that the total achievable score here is double compared to that of the other cars, where the max score of 17. So, to bring it on par with other cars, we should divide the Kushaq’s adult safety score into 2. After this adjustment, it comes at 14.82 points out of 17 with a star rating of 5 for adult safety.

In the child safety department, the Kushaq earned 42, which is the highest for any made-in-India car as of 2022. The Kushaq is the only other car in India with a perfect 5 star safety rating for adult as well as child safety.

In terms of ex-showroom pricing, the Kushaq’s petrol variants cost between Rs. 11.29 lakh and Rs. 19.49 lakh. Only 4 petrol-manual and 2 petrol-automatic variants cost less than Rs. 15.0 lakh.

Skoda Kushaq Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

5. Volkswagen Taigun

Since the Taigun and Kushaq share the platform and powertrains, the same result applies to the Taigun as well. Here too, after making the adjustment, the Taigun’s adult safety score stands at 14.82 points out of 17 with a 5-star safety rating. The Taigun is the only other car India with a perfect 5-star safety rating for, both, adult and child occupants.

The Taigun’s petrol variants cost between Rs. 11.40 lakh and Rs. 18.60 lakh (ex-showroom). Only 2 of its petrol-manual and 1 petrol-automatic variants fall between the budget range of Rs. 10.0 - 15.0 lakh.

Volkswagen Taigun Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

6. Toyota Urban Cruiser

If you find the new Maruti Suzuki Brezza expensive and the old one met your requirements much better than the Urban Cruiser is for you. It’s pretty much the same as the old Brezza but with Toyota’s badge.

In terms of adult safety, it got 13.52 points for 4 stars. Its child safety score stands at 36.68 points and 3 stars. Some of its higher variants breach the psychological barrier of Rs. 10.0 lakh (ex-showroom).

7. Mahindra Marazzo

The Mahindra Marazzo is the only MPV in this article and it has a 4-star adult safety rating with 12.85 points out of 17. Its child safety score is 22.22 points out of 49 for a 2-star rating.

The Marazzo is only available with a diesel manual powertrain and it costs between Rs. 13.40 lakh and Rs. 15.68 lakh. Only its M6 variant breaches the Rs. 15.0 limit while the rest meet the price range condition.

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