Tata Harrier EV vs Tata Harrier BNCAP Crash Test Scores Compared

Tata Motors has been acing the crash test safety game with consistent five-star safety ratings. It was the first manufacturer to be tested by the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP) and is also the latest. Interestingly, in both instances, the Harrier was crash tested by BNCAP, with the first being the diesel Harrier and the latter being the Harrier EV. 

Both versions of the Tata Motors compact SUV got a 5-star safety rating for adult and child occupant protection. However, the Harrier EV received a better score on the BNCAP crash tests. The EV got 32 points out of 32 for adult occupant protection and 45 out of 49 points in the child occupant protection tests. The diesel Harrier is not far behind, though, with 30.08 points in the adult occupant protection tests and 44.54 points in the child occupant protection tests.

The Tata Harrier EV outperforms its diesel counterpart in crash safety due to its EV-specific acti.ev platform, which offers superior structural rigidity compared to the ICE-based OMEGA-Arc platform used in the diesel Harrier. Designed from the ground up for electric vehicles, the acti.ev architecture incorporates reinforced battery housing and revised crash load paths, enabling better energy absorption and structural integrity during impacts. This results in improved protection ratings, particularly in frontal crash tests, where the Harrier EV shows ‘good’ occupant safety across all parameters—unlike the diesel version, which registers ‘marginal’ and ‘adequate’ scores in some areas due to its older, ICE-adapted platform design. 

The child occupant protection (COP) scores for both SUVs are nearly identical. The Harrier EV scored slightly higher—45/49 vs 44.54/49—mainly due to a marginally better performance in the dynamic crash test, where it achieved a full 24/24 score compared to the diesel’s 23.54. Both vehicles scored equally in CRS installation (12/12) and vehicle assessment (9/13). In essence, while the EV holds a clear advantage in adult safety owing to its modern platform, both models provide similarly strong protection for child occupants, highlighting Tata's consistent safety focus across powertrains.

In the end, it doesn’t matter which one of the two earned a higher score because both have a 5-star rating from BNCAP. While you may have a car with a 5-star rating or even a lower rating, wearing seat belts is the primary step in ensuring your safety in the event of an accident.