Speed thrills but if your car is not well equipped, it can kill. So have a look at this list of the 6 safest cars of 2021 before making a purchase coz’ precaution is always better than the cure.
Be it advent seatbelts, effective airbag systems or even blind-spot detection, features like these have long ensured the safety of the driver and the passengers in a car. And no doubt, there is nothing more important than safety when buying a car. If you are an adventure enthusiast who likes to take your sports car out and drive around with friends or even if you are someone with a child, safety comes first. Keeping this in mind, nowadays cars are becoming safer and safer.
Although every car model goes through the process of testing its safety features and crash tests before it is made available for the public, there are a few models that include far greater safety features as well. These cars, with their focus on overall safety, have a lot in store for you. In this month’s section of “Speed”, we have gathered some of the most-safest cars out there for you to buy. These safety features will guide you to make the right decision. Have a look!
1. 2021 Nissan Sentra
With the new 2021 Sentra model, Nissan has focused extensively on the safety and security aspects. It has an Air bag System with dual-stage supplemental front air bags with seat-belt and occupant-classification sensors. For front and rear seat outboard occupants, the car includes seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air bags as well as roof mounted curtain side-impact supplement air bags with rollover sensor. The driver and front passenger also get supplemental knee air bag with the car. It has a 3-point ALR/ELR seat belt system but that is only for the driver.
For children’s safety, the 2021 Nissan Sentra includes a LATCH system with Lower Anchors and Tethers. The car has a zone body construction with front and rear zones and hood buckling creases and safety stops as well. Along with all this, Nissan Sentra also has the Pressure Monitoring System with individual tire pressure display and Easy-Fill Tire Alert.
Starting MSRP: approx. Rs. 14,58,700
2. 2021 Mazda6
With a sleek design, this four-door Sedan from Mazda has lithe handling and quality interior which tries to imitate a luxury car quite well. It can be equipped with Skyactiv-G 2.5 Turbo Engine and delivers up to 250hp of horsepower. It has a total torque of 320 lb-ft and it is put together to be ultra-responsive at low rpm.
When we talk about its looks, the new Mazda Carbon Edition takes the spotlight. Polymetal grey paint, black metallic finish alloy wheels, black rear decklid spoiler, black exterior mirrors and red leather seats give it a sophisticated look that also supports its performance.
It includes advanced front air bags with seat-belt use, 3 point seat belts for all seating positions, mounted front seat, side-impact airbags, side-impact air curtains as well as front seat-belt pretensioners with force limiters. Along with this, it also has an anti-lock brake system with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist. It has a LATCH child safety seat lower anchor and upper tethers with a child safety rear door lock too.
Ex-Showroom Price: Rs. 18,29,900
3. 2022 Honda Accord
The Japanese auto brand Accord is known for being a go-to option for people who want something safe, practical, efficient as well as reliable. The 2022 Honda accord has its name registered in the list of IIHS Top Safety Pick+ ratings. It is equipped with various Honda sensing safety and Driver- Assistive Technologies. It claims to be quite effective with features like traffic sign recognition, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation braking. Along with this, it also includes a road departure mitigation system and lane-departure and forward-collision warnings. It has a multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines and an acoustic vehicle alerting system too. The car is fully equipped with airbags as it has advanced front airbags, SmartVent Front Side Airbags, Side Curtain Airbags with Rollover Sensor and Driver’s and Front Passenger’s Knee Airbags.
Ex-Showroom Price: approx. Rs. 19,04,300
4. BMW 3 Series Sedan
This one’s got an anti-lock braking system as well as front and rear head protection. It includes seat-mounted front side impact airbags, knee airbags for driver and front passenger and front safety belts with automatic pretensioners. The BMW 3 Series Sedan has automatic-locking retractors on all passenger safety belts for the installation of the child-restraint seat. It also includes a LATCH attachment for child-restraint safety installation. The Active Protection System of this car is quite smart. Whenever it detects an imminent accident, it prepares automatically by pre-tensioning safety belts, closing windows and moonroof and activating post-crash braking. It also includes Fatigue and Focus Alert features. The Assist eCall feature of BMW includes an emergency request button and enhanced automatic collision notification. The impact sensor activates Battery Safety Terminal disconnect of alternator, fuel pump and starter from battery. It automatically unlocks doors and turns on hazard and interior lights.
Ex-Showroom Price: approx. Rs. 30,99,000
5. TESLA Model 3
According to TESLA, the Model 3 is “Built for Safety”. It has a 5 star Overall NHTSA Rating in every category and subcategory. It has an energy absorbing crash structure, rigid passenger compartment as well as side impact protection. The safety-first design includes ultra-high-strength steel and a low, solid centre of gravity. It has a quite rigid structure made with a material mix of aluminium and steel for increased occupant safety. The strength and support of the rigid battery pack along with impact-absorbing rails and centre pillar reinforcement provide protection from every side. This car includes a UV protected glass roof as well as an ultra-advanced 360-degree smart detection system with around a dozen ultrasonic sensors embedded throughout the car to rely on.
Ex-Showroom Price: approx. Rs. 31,39,400
6. 2022 A5 Sportback
With a Turbocharged 2.0L Inline-Four engine that proves total power of 201HP & 236FT-LBS, the 2022 A5 Sportback has also made its way in the IIHS Top Safety Pick rating. This one is more of a sporty ride that has got a long list of safety features. It has airbags for the driver and passenger’s side as well as knee. It has an Audi Park to assist feature to guide you well while parking, a stolen vehicle tracking so that you don’t feel helpless if you lose this one, ABS and driveline traction control as well. With this, Audi A5 Sportback also has seatbelt pretensioners, all LED lighting for proper visibility and connectivity to Audi connect CARE.
This model by Audi also comes with various premium optional features including paddle-shifters, built-in GPS navigation, blind-spot detection, adaptive cruise control, 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen system and a heads-up display.
Ex-Showroom Price: approx. Rs. 32,52,360
