Maruti Suzuki’s e Vitara has secured a 5-star rating at the Bharat NCAP assessment, marking a significant achievement for the company’s first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) in India. Built on Suzuki’s all-new Heartect-e platform, the electric SUV comes equipped with level-2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) and seven airbags, reinforcing Maruti Suzuki’s commitment to safety and customer confidence.
The e Vitara’s body structure incorporates over 60% ultra-high tensile and high-tensile strength steel, providing exceptional rigidity and occupant protection. The SUV achieved 31.49 points out of 32 in adult occupant protection. In the front offset and side movable deformable barrier tests, the vehicle scored 15.49 points and 16 points out of 16, respectively.
Maruti Suzuki highlights that the advanced battery protection system features a structural energy-absorbing design, ensuring enhanced safety for the battery pack during collisions.
The e Vitara scored 43 points out of 49 in child occupant protection, evaluated across three parameters:
Dynamic score: 24/24
CRS installation score: 12/12
Vehicle assessment score: 7/13
All e Vitara variants come equipped with:
ESC (Electronic Stability Control)
Side Head Protection System (curtain airbags)
Pedestrian Protection System
Seat Belt Reminders (SBR)
With this rating, the e Vitara becomes the fourth Maruti Suzuki model after Dzire, Victoris, and Invicto to achieve a 5-star BNCAP rating.
Maruti Suzuki confirmed that the e Vitara’s battery ensures optimal performance between 60°C and -30°C. Manufactured in India, the e Vitara is also exported to multiple international markets. Interestingly, the SUV scored a 4-star rating in Euro NCAP, which is considered more stringent than BNCAP standards.
The highest-spec e Vitara is equipped with a comprehensive safety package, including:
Seven airbags
Hill hold control
ABS with EBD and brake assist
All-wheel disc brakes
Multi-collision braking
Electronic stability program
Active cornering control
Front seatbelt pre-tensioners with force limiters
Front seatbelt height adjuster
3-point seatbelts with reminders
ISOFIX child seat anchorages
360-degree surround view camera
Front and rear parking sensors
Tyre-pressure monitoring system
Auto-dimming IRVM
Emergency call (e-Call) with SOS functionality
The e Vitara comes with advanced driver assistance features, including:
Automatic emergency braking (AEB)
Forward collision warning (FCW)
Lane keep assist (LKA)
Lane departure prevention (LDP)
Lane departure warning (LDW)
Vehicle sway warning
Adaptive cruise control
Adaptive high-beam system
Blind spot monitoring
Rear cross traffic alert
Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, stated:
"The 5-star Bharat NCAP rating for e VITARA, our first Battery Electric Vehicle, is a moment of immense pride for all of us at Maruti Suzuki. Bharat NCAP's globally benchmarked stringent vehicle test protocols have been a catalyst in empowering customers to make informed decisions."
The Maruti Suzuki e Vitara will be offered with two battery pack options:
49 kWh battery: Powers a single-motor front-wheel-drive setup
61 kWh battery: Powers a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup, branded as AllGrip-e
This setup provides flexibility for buyers to choose between efficiency and performance.
61 kWh front-wheel-drive: 428 km (WLTP)
61 kWh all-wheel-drive: 394 km (WLTP)
49 kWh base variant: 344 km (WLTP)
For India, the front-wheel-drive 61 kWh model is expected to debut first, offering over 500 km range as per ARAI ratings, while the dual-motor variant will arrive later.