Bharat NCAP Ratings Decoded: Read Them Before You Buy

A Bharat NCAP star rating has two separate scores: adult protection (out of 32) and child protection (out of 49).

A 5-star car can still hide a weak child score or missing ESC — always read both numbers, not just the stars.

Frontal crashes are tested at 64 km/h and side impacts at 50 km/h, so ratings reflect city, not highway, speeds.

Bharat NCAP 2.0 from Oct 2027 makes ESC mandatory and raises the 5-star bar to 70 then 80 points out of 100.

Today's 5-star car may only rate 3-4 stars under the tougher 2027 rules — check the test date and protocol.