The Maruti Suzuki e-Vitara, the company’s first all-electric SUV, has got a four-star overall safety rating in Japan NCAP’s 2026 test. This India-made vehicle got an ‘A’ grade for preventive safety and a ‘B’ grade for collision safety. Its automatic emergency accident reporting system got classified as Advanced Type II. The results were announced on 20 October 2026 by Japan’s National Agency for Automotive Safety and Victims’ Aid (NASVA) in conjunction with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The e-Vitara had got a five-star rating in Bharat NCAP tests in India, getting top scores for adult and child occupant protection. The same vehicle has garnered four-star ratings in Euro NCAP and ANCAP tests as well. The e-Vitara is manufactured only at Maruti Suzuki’s Gujarat plant, which is the global manufacturing base for the vehicle.
Japan NCAP’s overall four-star score combines results from accident-prevention systems, collision protection and post-crash emergency communication. The e-Vitara did well in the preventive safety tests, recording the highest Level 5 scores in the autonomous emergency braking tests for pedestrians in both day and night and for cyclists. It also recorded Level 5 scores in the lane-departure prevention, high-performance headlights and pedal-misapplication prevention tests. The e-Vitara’s performance was good but slightly lesser in more complex intersection scenarios, recording Level 4 scores in several turning and crossing tests.
In the collision safety tests too, the electric SUV recorded Level 5 protection for the driver in the full-wrap frontal impact test and the side-impact test. Rear-impact neck protection for the driver and front passenger also recorded Level 5 scores. Rear-seat occupant protection in the full-width frontal test and the new offset frontal collision test each recorded a Level 4 score. Protection for pedestrians was mixed with Level 3 for head impact but Level 5 for leg protection. Seatbelt reminder systems recorded a Level 4 score.
Standard safety equipment on the e-Vitara includes seven airbags, Electronic Stability Program, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, a 360-degree camera, ISOFIX child-seat anchors and an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System. Higher variants have Level 2 advanced driver-assistance features. Battery options include a larger pack providing an ARAI-claimed range of up to 543 kilometres with all-wheel-drive available on certain variants.
Different star ratings between Bharat NCAP and Japan NCAP are due to the differences in testing protocols, weights accorded to different categories and specific vehicle specifications used by the two programmes, rather than any fundamental differences in the car’s underlying safety engineering. For Indian buyers, the five-star Bharat NCAP result still remains the most relevant domestic benchmark, while the result from Japan NCAP provides additional credibility for the made-in-India electric SUV as it seeks to enter more export markets.