Kia Seltos secures three stars in Global NCAP crash tests

The India-spec Kia Seltos has received a three-star rating in the latest round of Global NCAP crash tests. Launched in September 2019, the Seltos was Kia’s debut offering in India, and has proven to be one of the top-selling midsize SUVs in the market with well over 1,00,000 units sold within a little over a year. However, as is the norm, Global NCAP used the base HTE variant of the Seltos, which misses out on certain safety features, for the crash tests.

• Kia Seltos secures three stars for adult occupant protection

• Rated two stars for child occupant protection

• Lack of standard ISOFIX anchorages hurt the Seltos’ score

Global NCAP’s Kia Seltos safety rating explained

Subject to Global NCAP’s offset frontal crash test at a speed of 64kph, the Kia Seltos managed to secure three stars on adult occupant protection. Global NCAP’s test report states that on impact, the Seltos’ structure and footwell area were both borderline ‘unstable’, and that the bodyshell was not capable of ‘withstanding further loadings’. 

The Kia Seltos’ overall score for adult occupant protection was 8.03 points out of a maximum 17. Head protection for both adult crash test dummies was noted as only ‘adequate’, because both the driver and co-driver airbags bottomed out on impact. Neck protection was reported to be good, while chest protection was rated good for the co-driver and marginal for the driver. Protection for the driver and co-driver’s knees was rated ‘marginal’, with Global NCAP noting they could come in contact with ‘dangerous structures behind the dashboard’.

The Kia Seltos didn’t fare quite as well on the child occupant protection front. Global NCAP has handed the Seltos a mere two stars and 15 points out of a maximum 49 for child occupant protection, with Kia not recommending a child restraint system (CRS) for the Seltos. 

In the crash test, the head of the 3-year-old child dummy that sat in a forward-facing child seat, made  contact with the car’s interior as the child seat was unable to prevent excessive forward movement. Global NCAP’s report says the Seltos offered ‘limited protection’ for the head and neck of the 3-year-old child dummy, and ‘acceptable’ protection for the 18-month-old child dummy, which was sat in a rearward-facing child seat.

In its report, Global NCAP further highlights the Kia Seltos does not come with standard 3-point seat belts for all passengers, and also doesn’t have standard ISOFIX child seat anchorages, which are offered only from the HTX trim onwards.

Global NCAP also tested the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios and the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso in its latest crash tests. The i10 Nios managed to secure a two-star rating, while the S-Presso notched up a dismal 0-star rating.

Results from the latest round of Global NCAP crash tests are in stark contrast to those released in the last 12 months. Manufacturers such as Tata Motors and Mahindra secured a full five-star rating for models including the Tata Nexon, Tata Altroz and Mahindra XUV300, with the Tata Tiago and Tigor also securing four-star ratings earlier this year.

Also see:

Top 10 safest cars in India as rated by Global NCAP

Breaking down the Global NCAP crash test