It was the four-door Mini Cooper Countryman that stood out among the 12 cars that were tested. By passing the new frontal crash tests, the car model earned a top rating of "good."
The test was conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a safety group with headquarters found in Arlington, VA and funded by insurers. The cars were evaluated through the institute's small overlap front crash test.
Started in 2012, the test studies a vehicle's reaction to a 40-mph collision wherein the frontal overlap is measured at 25% and the driver's side should have a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier.
One type of car that was tested was the Nissan Leaf. Though its battery held up, the car still earned a poor rating. This is attributed to the car driver's condition when the car suffers from damage. The car puts the driver at the risk of getting injuries on his left knee, thigh, and lower leg.
The Volt, which solely earned the IIHS' Top Safety Pick and overall award in the testing round, passed the rating in the simple overlap test. It is the only car model that has a built in front crash prevention system.
Five cars also earned the ratings of "good" or "acceptable" from the Top Safety Pick awards. These would include the Mini Cooper (good), Ford C-Max Hybrid (acceptable), Mitsubishi Lancer (acceptable), Scion FR-S (acceptable), and Subaru BRZ (acceptable).
Vice President Jeff Boyer of the GM Global Vehicle Safety says, "Vehicle and customer safety is of utmost concern to us. GM is committed to outstanding results from all of the safety tests we are a part of - the recognition of the Chevrolet Volt as a Top Safety Pick+ vehicle is a testament to that."
Other cars such as the Hyundai Veloster and Scion xB were given a "marginal" rating for occupant protection. On the other hand, cars such as the Mazda 5, Nissan Juke, Fiat 500L join the above-mentioned Nissan Leaf in earning a "poor" rating.
Dubbed as a small overlap front crash test, the test was introduced in 2012 and copies what actually happens when the vehicle's front corner collides with another vehicle or an object. The test found out that 25% of the front end of a vehicle on the side of the driver strikes a barrier at the speed of 40 mph.
Many consumers would decide on purchasing a new car after consulting the car's ratings from the IIHS. Automakers would flaunt their cars that passed the test through advertising.
The lowest rating went to the Mazda 5 because of its structural and restraint system issues. Mazda commented by saying "We take these results seriously, and are studying the results of these IIHS tests as we consider the design of future vehicles."
