The Maruti Suzuki Baleno has become the first hatchback to undergo testing by Bharat NCAP. In its evaluation, Maruti's premium hatchback has earned a commendable four-star rating for Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) and a three-star rating for Child Occupant Protection (COP).
All four Baleno variants were subjected to these tests. While the entry-level Sigma and Delta trims are equipped with two airbags, the higher-spec Zeta and Alpha variants benefit from six airbags. It's noteworthy that six airbags are not yet standard across the entire Baleno lineup. Other crucial safety features on offer include ABS, ESP, hill-hold assist, 360-degree camera, and ISOFIX child seat anchors. The Baleno also meets AIS-100 pedestrian protection norms and ESC regulations.
During crash tests, the top-spec Baleno variants demonstrated good head and neck protection in the frontal offset barrier test. Protection for other body regions ranged from marginal to adequate. Impressively, the Baleno scored good ratings in both the side movable deformable barrier and side pole impact tests, underscoring its structural integrity in lateral collisions.
While the Baleno is the first car in the segment to undergo BNCAP, its rivals, the Hyundai i20 and the Tata Altroz have already been crash-tested under GNCAP, securing three stars and five stars, respectively.
