Verna becomes first made-in-India Hyundai car to score 5-star rating in Global NCAP crash test

The Hyundai Verna has achieved a top rating in the Global NCAP crash test for adult and child occupant safety, making it the first made-in-India Hyundai car to score 5 stars. This voluntary test is one of the final results in the #SaferCarsForIndia campaign, which is set to conclude ahead of Bharat NCAP’s activation later this year. The Hyundai Verna managed to score 5 stars in both adult occupancy and child occupancy. 

Global NCAP’s crash test protocols assess frontal and side impact protection for all models, as well as Electronic Stability Control (ESC). Pedestrian protection and side impact pole protection assessments are required for vehicles scoring the highest star ratings. 

The Hyundai Verna was assessed in its most basic passive safety specification with 6 airbags and ESC as standard. Despite achieving a five-star rating for adult and child occupants, the structure was deemed unstable. After a side impact test, a Child Restraint System (CRS) failure was noted. However, after a subsequent higher energy side impact test, the CRS showed no further sign of failure.

Hyundai Motor India has also announced that all models sold in India will come with 6 airbags as standard, across all variants. The most affordable car in the Hyundai India line-up is the Grand i10 Nios which will also be getting 6 airbags from the base variant. 

Unsoo Kim, Managing Director and CEO of Hyundai Motor India Limited said, "At Hyundai ‘Safety-for-all’ is our utmost priority and we have been benchmark creators in standardisation of vehicle safety features. We are not just a provider of smart mobility solutions, but also safer mobility solutions. HMIL will continue to spearhead efforts in raising vehicular safety standards in India, thus making Indian roads safer for all.” 

Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Global NCAP, welcomed Hyundai to the five-star club in the Indian market. He praised Hyundai’s policy of improving safety performance in emerging markets and encouraged them to continue this trend.

Alejandro Furas, Secretary General of Global NCAP said, “Global NCAP welcomes Hyundai to the five star club in the Indian market. This relevant result confirms the manufacturer’s policy of improving safety performance in emerging markets. The effort to bring these improvements from the basic version is a remarkable step forward. We encourage Hyundai to continue in this line and bring the highest safety performance to the most affordable models and improve the availability of ADAS technologies in its entire model range worldwide.” 

David Ward, President of the Towards Zero Foundation, expressed satisfaction with the trend for five-star safety performance continuing with the Hyundai Verna. He emphasized that maintaining this safety momentum is an important step for the auto industry in India.

David Ward, President of the Towards Zero Foundation said, “As the #SaferCarsForIndia campaign reaches its conclusion it is very satisfying to see the trend for five star safety performance continue with the Hyundai Verna. Maintaining this safety momentum is an important step for the auto industry in India. It will be interesting to see how the remaining #SaferCarsForIndia models perform in our crash testing before Bharat NCAP begins its own testing later in the year.” 

Other cars that have received 5 stars in India under the new Global NCAP crash test protocol include:

• Volkswagen Virtus/Skoda Slavia
• Skoda Kushaq/Volkswagen Taigun
• Mahindra Scorpio-N

Also read: Will Bharat NCAP programme be a game-changer in lowering car insurance premiums?

Also read: Bharat NCAP will raise safety standards and make Indian roads safer for all; auto industry terms it ‘historic’