Kia Seltos, Tata Sierra, Renault Duster Bharat NCAP Safety Ratings Compared

Three compact SUVs—the Kia Seltos, Tata Sierra, and Renault Duster—have each achieved a 5-star rating in the Bharat NCAP safety tests. While all models meet the highest safety standards, their actual scores show slight differences in both adult and child occupant protection.

Key Highlights

• Kia Seltos, Tata Sierra, and Renault Duster each received 5-star Bharat NCAP safety ratings
• Seltos scored highest in Adult Occupant Protection with 31.70 out of 32 points
• All three SUVs achieved strong Child Occupant Protection scores with minor differences in dynamic tests
• Each model tested included multiple airbags, ISOFIX, and advanced safety assist technologies

Bharat NCAP Adult Occupant Protection

All three SUVs received a 5-star rating for Adult Occupant Protection (AOP). Kia Seltos scored the highest with 31.70 out of 32 points. Tata Sierra followed with 31.14 points, and Renault Duster scored 30.49 points.

In the side movable deformable barrier test, each SUV achieved a perfect 16 out of 16 points. The main differences in scores come from the frontal offset deformable barrier test. Seltos led with 15.70 out of 16 points, Sierra scored 15.14, and Duster received 14.49 points.

Most safety performance results for these SUVs were rated as ‘Good’, with a few areas marked as ‘Adequate’. For example, Seltos and Duster achieved ‘Good’ ratings for the front passenger in the frontal offset test. Sierra received an ‘Adequate’ rating for the front passenger’s right leg. Minor differences in driver ratings also contributed to the overall point variation. These technical differences are small and unlikely to affect real-world safety.

Child Occupant Protection Scores

In Child Occupant Protection (COP), all three SUVs earned 5-star ratings. Kia Seltos and Renault Duster both scored 45 out of 49 points. Tata Sierra matched these scores in most categories but lost 0.27 points in the dynamic score, totaling slightly less than the others.

Category breakdowns for Seltos and Duster include 9 out of 13 for vehicle assessment, 12 out of 12 for CRS installation, and 24 out of 24 for the dynamic score. Sierra’s dynamic score was 23.73 out of 24, due to a 0.27 point deduction in the front impact test for the 18-month-old dummy. Seltos and Duster scored a full 8 out of 8 points in this test, while Sierra received 7.73 points. The exact reason for this deduction is not specified but may relate to a head excursion penalty.

Safety Features and Technologies

All three SUVs tested by Bharat NCAP included a comprehensive set of safety features. These included frontal airbags, side head curtain airbags, side chest airbags, and side pelvis airbags. Additional features were belt pretensioners, load-limiters, ISOFIX mounts, integrated child restraint systems, and airbag cut-off switches.

Safety assist technologies evaluated in the tests included electronic stability control (ESC), pedestrian protection, and seat belt reminders (SBR). These features contributed to the strong safety ratings across all three models.