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More than half of the midsize SUVs tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the latest round of side-impact evaluations performed well, but many of the lowest performing are ones that Americans buy the most.
"It's encouraging to see so many midsize SUVs from different automakers earn good ratings in this more challenging evaluation," says IIHS Senior Research Engineer Becky Mueller, whose research formed the foundation for the new test protocol. "These results will help confirm the adjustments they need to make to other vehicles going forward."
The results come as IIHS moves into a new testing phase. It introduced a new, tougher side test to represent the type of crash that occurs when two crossing vehicles collide at an intersection.
Updated testing procedures see a heavier barrier traveling at a higher speed to simulate a striking vehicle. The weight was previously 3,300 pounds. It has been upped to 4,200 pounds, which is more in line with the weight of modern midsize SUVs.
Additional changes include the striking object to make impact at 37 mph rather than 31 mph.
Together, the changes mean that the impact produces 82 percent more energy.
The new test uses two SID-IIs dummies, one in the driver's seat and anothe run the rear seat, behind the driver. Their size is meant to simulate a small woman or 12-year old child.
Ten out of the 18 midsize SUVs tested earned Good ratings: Ford Explorer, Infiniti QX60, Lincoln Navigator, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas, Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and Volkswagen ID.4.
The ID.4 was the only electric vehicle tested.
In order to earn a Good rating, the vehicle's occupant compartment must hold its shape well during the crash, according to IIHS. Additionally, measurements collected from the test dummies must not indicate that there is a high risk of severe injuries.
In addition, the side airbags and seat belts should prevent the dummies' heads from making hard contact with the interior of the vehicle.
The Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse did not perform as well, earning just Acceptable ratings overall. Both models were held back by their Marginal scores for occupant compartment structure. Chevy's Traverse is one of the best-selling SUVs on the market today.
Lowest-performing models earned an overall Marginal rating. Those included the Honda Passport, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Wrangler 4-Door, Kia Telluride and Nissan Murano.
The Pilot, Palisade, Wrangler and Telluride are routinely among the most bought SUVs in the country. Jeep sold over 200,000 Wranglers in 2021 while Honda sold more than 140,000 Pilots.
IIHS notes that except for the Wrangler, all tested midsize SUVs earmed Good scores for their driver and passenger airbags and head injury measures. The Wrangler does not have side airbags surrounding rear seating areas, earns a Poor rating for passenger head protection.
In testing, the rear passenger dummy inside the Wrangler hit the vertical support of the vehicle's removable roof and window frame of the rear door. The classification of the impact brought down the Wrangler's overall score.
Only the CX-9, ID.4 and Wrangler earned Good ratings for preventing injuries to the driver's pelvis. Ascent, Aviator, Enclave, Explorer and Traverse earned Acceptable scores in this area.
A 2011 study of a decade's worth of crash data found that a driver of a vehicle with a Good rating in the original test is 70 percent less likely to die in a left-side crash than a driver of a vehicle with a Poor rating.
Despite safety improvements, side-impact crashes still accounted for 23 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths in 2020.
First ratings of the new side impact test were announced in October with only one out of 20 small SUVs getting a Good rating, and half rated as Marginal or Poor performers.
About the writer
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull leads the Autos team at Newsweek. She has written extensively about the auto industry for U.S. News & ... Read more