Tata Motors flagship SUVs, the new Safari and Harrier, have become the first vehicles to receive a 5-star rating from the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat-NCAP). This rating covers both adult and child occupant protection. Bharat NCAP crash tests came into effect from December 15. The Tata SUVs are also the first cars to be tested under the new crash test certification.
The announcement was made by the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari. He praised Bharat-NCAP for being India’s independent voice on vehicle safety and congratulated Tata Motors on their achievement.
He said, “Bharat-NCAP is India’s independent, atmanirbhar voice on vehicle safety. It is benchmarked to the best-in-class global standards and the Bharat-NCAP vehicle rating system is designed to advance road safety and vehicle safety standards beyond mandatory regulations. I’m delighted that the first ever vehicles being certified today with the highest achievable 5-star rating, are both from Tata Motors. I congratulate them on award of this coveted certification with the highest possible ratings and for continuing to enrich their legacy of introducing the safest vehicles on Indian roads.”
The new Safari and Harrier are equipped with several safety features, including:
Shailesh Chandra, MD of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd., expressed his gratitude upon receiving the certification. He said, “Bharat-NCAP is a significant step forward as it provides customers with a credible, objective score to evaluate the safety aspects of various vehicles. Informed customers taking optimal decisions will further foster the rising preference for safer vehicles in the country. We acknowledge and appreciate the collaborative efforts of the government, regulatory bodies, and the automotive industry in this pursuit. At Tata Motors, safety is at the core of our DNA and we are honoured to win this maiden Bharat-NCAP certification with an exemplary 5-star rating for two of our vehicles. We remain committed and will continue to work towards improving vehicle safety holistically.”
Built on the OMEGARC architecture, derived from Land Rover’s renowned D8 Platform, the Safari and Harrier SUVs also hold the highest 5-star GNCAP rating. The company claims that this feat makes them the safest vehicles on Indian roads.