The 2014 Toyota Corolla received a "marginal" rating on the IIHS frontal overlap crash test. The test is designed to simulate real-world conditions.

Toyota’s touted new Corolla model received a mere “Marginal” rating in a new crash test designed to reflect real-world conditions, though it fared better in other tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Toyota isn’t alone, however. A number of new models, including a half-dozen other small cars, have had problems passing the IIHS small overlap frontal crash test – which is expected to lead to significant vehicle design changes in the coming years.

But the poor performance of the 2014 Toyota Corolla redesign could be a problem for the maker’s hopes of maintaining the compact sedan’s dominance in its increasingly competitive segment.

“Structural performance was poor and the driver’s space was seriously compromised by intruding structure,” declared the IIHS after the insurance industry’s automotive safety arm ran the test – designed to simulate such real-world situations as a car running into a utility pole on the driver’s side.

The small overlap test has proven to be a particularly tough one for manufacturers to meet as most vehicles have relatively little protection in their front corners – precisely what the insurance group is trying to change.

In the test of the Corolla, the vehicle not only crushed into the passenger compartment but also saw the crash dummy’s head roll off the airbag, which would have allowed it to strike the instrument panel or roof pillar.  Potentially serious leg injuries also would have been likely.

The good news for Toyota is that the 2014 Corolla scored well in all the other tests run by the IIHS, earning “Good” ratings for rollover, rear and both moderate overlap front and moderate overlap side crashes. That was enough to still get a “Top Safety Pick” award, but not the “Plus” designation manufacturers covet and typically use in their advertising.

(Honda Odyssey first minivan to get IIHS top pick plus rating. For more, Click Here.)

And it is likely to get a demotion when, in December, the IIHS revises its criteria for getting a Top Safety Pick rating.  At that point, models will also have to get a “Good,” or at least an “Acceptable” rating in the small overlap test to be considered a top pick.

In a statement responding to the latest IIHS crash test of the Corolla, the maker noted its three U.S. brands – Toyota, Lexus and Scion – have earned Top Safety Pick ratings for 21 current models.

(Click Here to see the seven best cars for front crash avoidance.)

The maker also noted it is “looking at a range of solutions” to improve the Corolla’s crash performance.