After becoming the India's 'safest car', the Mahindra XUV 300 has added to its safety credentials. In January 2020, the Mahindra XUV 300 had achieved the highest rating of all Indian-made cars crash tested by Global NCAP. And now it has also been awarded the 'Safer Choice' Award by the global car safety watchdog. The Safer Choice award was instituted by Global NCAP in 2018, and is to be presented to cars that meet a certain high standard of safety and crash capability. The Mahindra XUV 300 is the first car to receive this award, since it meets all of the criteria listed to qualify for this honour. David Ward, CEO and President of Global NCAP said, "This is a historic moment for Mahindra and the Indian auto industry, marking a tipping point in vehicle safety performance for the country. After setting our 'Safer Choice' Award challenge in 2018 it is deeply satisfying to see an Indian automaker taking a lead on safety in this way."

Also Read: Mahindra XUV300 Scores 5-Star Safety Rating

To be eligible, cars must have a 5-star rating for adult occupant crash safety and a minimum 4-star rating for child occupant protection.

To win the award, the Mahindra XUV 300 had to meet many stringent requirements. To be eligible, cars must have a 5-star rating for adult occupant crash safety and a minimum 4-star rating for child occupant protection. The car must have ESC or electronic stability control on offer as standard equipment. In the event it is optional, ESC must be offered on all variants as a standalone add-on, and be sold on at least 20 per cent of the model's overall sales volume.

The car must also meet Pedestrian Protection requirements (as set by the United Nations Regulations UN127 or GTR9 - and validated as such by Global NCAP. The Mahindra XUV 300 meets all these criteria. Speaking to carandbike, Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra said, "Mahindra has always tried to stay ahead when it comes to safety - be it early introduction of ABS or of Air Bags or of ESC. I am proud to see this effort culminate into XUV300 becoming first India-made car to receive the "Safer Choice" award from GNCAP. I am proud that Indian engineers in India with Indian suppliers are producing the safest choice car for Indian consumers. We stand by the commitment we made in 2014, and future vehicles that follow the XUV 300 will further exhibit this."

Mahindra submitted the XUV300 for further Global NCAP conformity tests, like pedestrian protection

The Mahindra XUV 300 gets dual airbags, ABS (anti-lock brakes) with corner braking control, ISOFIX child seat anchors, and a host of other features as standard. It also has the aforementioned ESC, three-point seatbelts for all 5 occupants, front parking sensors, and a second-row seatbelt reminder as optional. In fact the top W8 (option) variant also gets 7 airbags.

The Mahindra XUV300 does not come with ESC as standard but is available as optional fitment

Saul Billingsley, Executive Director of the FIA Foundation said, "Mahindra's award is well deserved. This motor manufacturer has chosen to make safety its priority, and Indian consumers will recognise and respond to Mahindra's values. This is another important milestone in Global NCAP's Safer Cars for India campaign and, coinciding with the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, sets a direction of travel that all car makers should seek to emulate."

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