IIHS crash-tests a Volkswagen Touareg, the only large SUV to get its top safety pick award.
More vehicles than ever before can claim a “top safety pick” award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Virginia-based organization gave that honor to 66 of the latest cars, trucks and crossovers, more than doubling the number of top picks it awarded last year.
Among the top-rated models were 40 passenger cars, 25 sport-utility vehicles and one minivan, reports the IIHS, which serves as an automotive testing and lobbying group for the insurance industry. It regularly crash tests new vehicles in a private counterpart to the tests done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In 2009, the IIHS handed out just 27 top picks, noted the group’s director, Adrian Lund. Doubling that list, he said, ” gives consumers shopping for a safer new car or SUV – from economy to luxury models – plenty of choices to consider in most dealer showrooms. In fact, every major automaker has at least one winning model this year.”
To get designated a top safety pick isn’t easy, requiring a vehicle to score well in a variety of tests, including front, side, rollover and rear crashes. Vehicles must also be equipped with a range of standard safety features, including airbags, traction control and electronic stability control, at a minimum. They must also meet minimum requirements in roof crush tests.
The 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX. All of the makers U.S. models got a top safety pick award from IIHS.
Significantly, Hyundai and its sibling Korean brand Kia tied the Volkswagen Group – which includes the VW, Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini brands – for the highest number of top safety picks, nine each. Coming in a close second were Ford, General Motors and Toyota, who each garnered eight picks among their various brands and nameplates.
Subaru and Chrysler each received five top picks. But little Subaru has bragging rights as the only maker in the American market to win a top safety pick for each and every model it offers here.
For Ford, getting a top pick for the new 2011 Explorer is a particularly sweet victory. The maker has emphasized safety as a key attribute on the new model, which features a variety of firsts, including the use of the new Curve Control system – designed to prevent a skid if the vehicle enters a corner too fast – and a system that integrates airbags into the rear seat safety belts.
Only one full-size SUV was tested this year; in fact, they normally aren’t included, but Volkswagen asked to have the IIHS crash the latest-generation Touareg in an effort to demonstrate its improved crashworthiness.
Some of the biggest improvements, the IIHS reported, have been made in roof strength, a serious concern in rollover accidents. The organization pointed to the Hyundai Tucson and its near-twin, the Kia Sportage, which each earned poor ratings for roof strength in the 2009 tests. Newly-redesigned, both were rated good for roof strength, this year, helping them earn their top safety pick status.
The full list of IIHS Top Safety Picks:
Large cars
Buick LaCrosse
Buick Regal
BMW 5 series (except 4-wheel drive and V8)
Cadillac CTS sedan
Ford Taurus
Hyundai Genesis
Infinite M37/M56 (except M56x 4-wheel drive)
Lincoln MKS
Mercedes E class coupe
Mercedes E class sedan
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80
Midsize cars
Audi A3
Audi A4 sedan
Chevrolet Malibu
Chrysler 200 4-door
Dodge Avenger
Ford Fusion
Hyundai Sonata
Kia Optima
Lincoln MKZ
Mercedes C class
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Volkswagen Jetta sedan
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen
Volvo C30
Small cars
Chevrolet Cruze
Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control
Kia Forte sedan
Kia Soul
Mitsubishi Lancer (except 4-wheel drive)
Nissan Cube
Scion tC
Scion xB
Subaru Impreza sedan and hatchback (except WRX)
Volkswagen Golf 4-door
Volkswagen GTI 4-door
Minicar
Ford Fiesta sedan and hatchback built after July 2010
Minivan
Toyota Sienna
Large SUV
Volkswagen Touareg
Midsize SUVs
Audi Q5
Cadillac SRX
Chevrolet Equinox
Dodge Journey
Ford Explorer
Ford Flex
GMC Terrain
Hyundai Santa Fe
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Kia Sorento built after March 2010
Lexus RX
Lincoln MKT
Mercedes GLK
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota Highlander
Toyota Venza
Volvo XC60
Volvo XC90
Small SUVs
Honda Element
Hyundai Tucson
Jeep Patriot with optional side torso airbags
Kia Sportage
Subaru Forester
Volkswagen Tiguan