One of the most anticipated launches earlier this year, the Kia Seltos now has one more feather in its cap! And this time around, it is a perfect 5-star rating in the Bharat NCAP crash tests!
With this development, the Seltos has once again proven itself to be one of the most well-rounded cars in the compact SUV segment. If you were wondering about the scores in detail, here is a deep dive:
2026 Kia Seltos: Adult Occupation Protection (AOP)
Score: 31.70/32
Right off the bat, we can see that the Seltos has one of the highest Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) scores in Bharat NCAP by any car to date, scoring 31.70 points out of 32. In this test, the driver dummy showed good protection for all areas except the left knee and feet, which were rated 'adequate'. On the other hand, the passenger dummy shows 'good' protection in all areas.
Furthermore, the car passed with flying colours in the Side Movable Deformable Barrier Test and Side Impact Pole Test with scores of 15.70 out of 16 and 16 out of 16, respectively, in each category, which all have contributed to the 5-star rating in this category.
2026 Kia Seltos: Child Occupation Protection (COP)
Score: 45.00/49
The near-perfect score remains consistent in the Child Occupant Protection (COP) category as well, with a score of 45 out of 49 points. This is down to the full 24 out of 24 points in the Dynamic score category, with a full 12 out of 12 in the CRS installation tests as well. In the vehicle assessment category, it got 9 points out of a maximum of 13.
2026 Kia Seltos: Safety Features
The Kia Seltos is equipped with a long list of safety technology like Level 2 ADAS, 6 airbags, electronic stability control, front, side and rear parking sensors, 360-degree camera, electronic parking brake with auto-hold, all-wheel disc brakes and a tyre pressure monitoring system and hill hold assist.
2026 Kia Seltos: Price And Rivals
Kia has priced the Seltos between Rs 10.99 lakh and Rs 19.99 lakh (ex-showroom), which puts it in direct contention with rivals like the Tata Sierra, Hyundai Creta, Renault Duster, Maruti Grand Vitara and Victoris, Honda Elevate, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Citroen Aircross and MG Astor.
ZigSays…
After a disappointing performance at the Global NCAP by the previous generation Seltos, the updated scores of the latest generation certainly signify a major shift in Kia's efforts towards enhancing the safety of its products. With its spacious cabin, high-quality interior, a long list of features and now this impressive safety score, we can safely say that the Seltos is now one of the most well-rounded products you can buy in the mass market.
What are your thoughts on the new Seltos? Comment down below!