Kia Cars From India Score Poorly In Global Crash Test Scores: Kia Carens, Kia Seltos Scored Just 3-Stars

Kia has only five cars in the market, and yet the company has managed to make it to the top league of automobile makers. 

However, the Made in India Kia Carens has a considerably low safety rating in the Global NCAP. 

Kia Carens Given 3 Star Rating By Global NCAP

The Carens car by the South Korean automobile manufacturer is a seven-seater MPV. 

It was tested for its most basic variant, with six airbags (two frontal, two side body, and two head protection airbags). However, these six airbags haven’t been able to boost the safety rating of the car. 

As we all know, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced that the government will make it mandatory for cars in India to have 6 airbags.

The rule will apply to budget to mid-range vehicles that are not equipped with rear passenger airbags since most cars on sale under Rs 20 lakh only provide rear and side airbags for the top-spec variants.

The Carens is a car built in India, and it has scored a poor 3 star rating in both adult and child occupant safety. There are issues regarding the structural integrity of the car and only a marginal safety to the chest and feet of the driver. 

The Kia Seltos has also received a 3-star rating for similar reasons. 

The new Mahindra XUV700 has grabbed the 5-Star rating for adult occupant protection and the highest rating for child occupant protection, with 41.66 out of a possible 49 points.

16.03 out of a possible 17 points is something top-notch! These points made the new Mahindra XUV700, one of the highest-rated Indian-made vehicles tested since 2014. 

Bharat NCAP To Be Launched Soon!

As we reported earlier, the draft GSR (General Statutory Rules) notification has been approved by Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for Bharat NCAP or the New Car Assessment Programme. 

He has announced the new rule via a series of tweets. He has stated that automobiles will be given star ratings based on their performance in crash tests.

He tweets, “Bharat-NCAP will serve as a consumer-centric platform allowing customers to opt for safer cars based upon their star-ratings, while promoting a healthy competition among OEMs in India to manufacture safer vehicles.”

The GOI plans to introduce a safety assessment program similar to Euro NCAP and Global NCAP.

Some reports have stated that the Bharat NCAP program is set to begin from 1st April 2023