In its first 12 months conducting rear seat security checks on 15 US-market SUVs and crossovers, solely two scored a “good” security score. And — after all! — the Volvo XC40 was considered one of them.
Automobile security is commonly cited as some of the essential parts of a brand new automotive purchaser’s determination, however most individuals do not know how restricted authorities crash take a look at information actually is — or how simply that system may very well be gamed. That’s the place impartial testing our bodies just like the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security (IIHS) are available, conducting extra detailed crash checks of their very own and discovering out issues that the “fundamental,” government-manded checks would possibly miss.
On this case, the IIHS zeroed in on the truth that typical crash testing often solely considers the protection of the motive force, and makes use of “an average-size man” dummy, with no regard for rear passenger security. The IIHS’ new take a look at centered on the again seat utilizing a dummy that represented a 12 12 months outdated baby — and, because of this, they found simply how un-safe many crossovers and SUVs actually may be for teenagers and passengers!
Who Did What
The brand new take a look at is named up to date reasonable overlap take a look at — and, of the 15 automobiles examined, solely the Volvo XC40 and Ford Escape protected their back-seat passengers nicely sufficient to earn a “good” score. The Toyota RAV4, in the meantime, was rated acceptable.”
The remainder of the record, and their outcomes, are included beneath:
- Ford Escape – Good
- Volvo XC40 – Good
- Toyota RAV4 – Acceptable
- Audi Q3 – Marginal
- Nissan Rogue – Marginal
- Subaru Forester – Marginal
- Buick Encore – Poor
- Chevrolet Equinox – Poor
- Honda CR-V – Poor
- Honda HR-V – Poor
- Hyundai Tucson – Poor
- Jeep Compass – Poor
- Jeep Renegade – Poor
- Mazda CX-5 – Poor
- Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross – Poor
Essentially the most disturbing factor about this record, I feel, isn’t that automobiles just like the Jeep Compass or Chevy Equinox earned “Poor” scores right here. As a substitute, it’s that just about all the 15 SUVs examined scored a “good” score on the outdated, driver-only checks. That ought to increase alarm bells, if solely as a result of the first cause so many individuals purchase these automobiles to start with is that they’ve children to haul round within the again seat.
In the meantime, Volvo’s success — after almost 100 years of advocating for improved car security — comes as no shock. “At Volvo Vehicles, we’ve at all times designed and constructed our vehicles to our personal exacting security requirements primarily based on our information learning actual world crashes,” mentioned Thomas Broberg, performing head of the Volvo Vehicles Security Heart. “To have our work validated by the consultants on the IIHS of their latest take a look at provides to the pleasure we absorb our security focus for each car we produce.”
As for Ford? The Blue Oval was Volvo’s guardian firm till it spun off the Swedish model to China’s Geely group in 2010. Clearly they realized fairly a bit about security from their Swedish siblings, and didn’t overlook within the intervening years.
Again to Volvo, the most recent IIHS take a look at consequence continues a development reinforces a “file” set in April of this 12 months, when Volvo Vehicles achieved the very best doable score from IIHS for each considered one of its fashions examined, together with plug-in hybrid and absolutely electrical automobiles. I’m “Volvo Jo,” nonetheless, so be happy to scroll on all the way down to the feedback part on the backside of the web page and inform me why I’m anti Tesla or one thing.
Sources | Photographs: IIHS, through Jalopnik, Volvo Vehicles.
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