Maruti Suzuki Baleno has scored an impressive 4-star safety rating at Bharat New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), becoming only the second car after Citroen Basalt to achieve 4 stars at the BNCAP. All other cars crash tested by Bharat NCAP have achieved 5-star safety ratings.
Interestingly two iterations of Baleno were crash tested by Bharat NCAP at the latest round of evaluation– one with six airbags and the other equipped with two front airbags. Both versions of the premium hatchback were awarded 4-star ratings for adult occupant protection (AOP) and 3-star for child occupant protection (COP). This signifies that the addition of extra airbags doesn’t impact the overall safety of a car.
For the Baleno with two airbags, it received 24.04 points out of 32 for adult occupant protection (AOP) and 34.81 points out of 49 for child occupant protection (COP). For the Baleno equipped with 6 airbags, it fared marginally better in AOP with 26.52 points whereas COP remained identical at 34.81 points.
Maruti Suzuki Baleno (6 airbags) AOP details
The improvement was largely driven by better side impact performance, with the 6-airbag variant scoring 14.99 out of 16 in the side movable deformable barrier test, compared to 12.50 for the 2-airbags version. This higher score is attributed to the additional curtain and thorax airbags, which enhance side protection and are not present in the twin airbags model. Both variants come equipped with standard features such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC), pedestrian protection systems, and seat belt reminders.
Maruti Suzuki Baleno (6 airbags) COP details
In the frontal offset deformable barrier test, the Baleno scored 11.54 out of 16 points. According to BNCAP, protection for the front passengers ranged from ‘marginal’ to ‘adequate’, with the driver’s chest and left tibia receiving a ‘marginal’ rating. The premium hatchback earned 16.81 out of 24 points for dynamic performance and a full 12 out of 12 points for the Child Restraint System (CRS) installation. In the overall vehicle assessment test, it received 6 out of 13 points. As per standard procedure, BNCAP conducted the tests using dummies representing 18-month-old and 3-year-old children.
Maruti Suzuki Baleno (6 airbags) equipment details
The Baleno is equipped with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and three-point seatbelts with reminders for all seating positions, among others.The tests were carried out on both AGS (automatic gear shift) and MT (manual transmission) versions of the models, each with a test weight of 1,220 kg.
Both derivatives were evaluated for their safety in April last year and the results published in June. For context, starting 1 October 2025, all passenger vehicles are mandated to feature six airbags as standard across all variants.
