Maruti e Vitara Scores 4 Star Safety Rating In Euro NCAP Crash Test – Something Maruti Can Be Proud Of!

Looks like Maruti is on a bit of a safety hot streak! After the Victoris grabbed headlines with its 5-star Bharat NCAP score, it’s now the turn of the brand’s first electric SUV, the e Vitara. Just days after rolling out of Maruti’s Gujarat plant, the eSUV went under Euro NCAP’s crash test hammer and it didn’t disappoint. The made-in-India e Vitara bagged a 4-star safety rating.

 

 

 

 

 

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Here’s a detailed report of how the e Vitara fared in the rather more stringent ENCAP test:

Adult Safety (77 Percent) - Stable, But Not Perfect!

In adult occupant tests, the e Vitara scored 31 out of 40 points. The good news? It offered solid protection for knees and femurs, while side impact tests showed ‘good’ safety for all critical areas. The not-so-great part? Chest protection for the driver was only rated ‘weak’ in some tests, and the rear passenger’s head protection was ‘marginal’. On the bright side, the passenger cell itself was rated stable.

Child Safety (85 Percent) - Impressive!

Kids are well looked after here. The e Vitara scored 42 out of 49 points, with good protection for all critical areas of the 6-year old and 10-year old child dummies, in both frontal and side impact tests. The only notable miss is the absence of a child presence detection system, a feature that is becoming increasingly common in global EVs. Otherwise, child seats can be easily installed.

Vulnerable Road Users (79 Percent) - Not Bad!

When it comes to vulnerable road users, the SUV scored 50.63 out of 63 points. Pedestrian head protection was mostly good, though those chunky windscreen pillars didn’t help as much. 

Safety Assist (72 Percent) - Good!

For active safety, the e Vitara managed 13 out of 18 points, thanks to its Level 2 ADAS suite. The features like auto emergency braking, lane keep assist, and driver fatigue monitoring all worked effectively during Euro NCAP’s evaluation.

The Maruti Safety in e Vitara

Maruti is packing in the essentials: up to 7 airbags, a 360-degree camera, electronic parking brake, TPMS, parking sensors, and of course, the ADAS suite. For a brand that’s been criticised in the past for lagging in safety, this feels like a strong step forward.

Expected Price & Rivals

The Maruti e Vitara is expected to start around Rs 17 lakh (ex-showroom), and lock horns with some serious competition: the Hyundai Creta Electric, Mahindra BE 6, Tata Curvv EV, and MG ZS EV.

ZigSays…

A 4-star Euro NCAP rating is a confidence booster for Maruti’s first global EV. Yes, there are small niggles like chest protection and no child presence alert, but keeping in mind that the ENCAP testing is more stringent so, overall, the package looks promising. Combine that with Maruti’s brand trust and expected aggressive pricing, and the e Vitara could very well turn out to be the ‘safe bet’ family EV many are waiting for.