Subcompacts Don't Fare Well in IIHS Small Overlap Testing
Chevrolet Spark Only Car Out of 11 Tested to Earn Acceptable Rating
Ever since the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) introduced its new small overlap frontal crash test in 2012, cars have either been rewarded for their extra protection or exposed for not offering enough. One class of cars that hasn't come out ahead in the new test is the subcompact or "minicar" group, as IIHS says that just one out of 11 minicars tested earned an "acceptable" rating. That makes the minicar segment the worst performing group of any evaluated thus far.
The one car to earn an acceptable rating is the Chevrolet Spark. Because it scored ratings of "good" in all other tests, the Spark earns the only 2014 Top Safety Pick award of the class. IIHS recently revised its Top Safety Pick criteria, and now requires that vehicles earn an acceptable or good rating in the small overlap frontal crash test to be considered a Top Safety Pick. Additionally, Top Safety Pick+ winners must be available with front crash mitigation systems to qualify.
The small overlap frontal test is meant to simulate a crash between the front corner of a vehicle and an object such as a tree, utility pole, or another vehicle. IIHS says the test is more difficult than NHTSA's head-on test or even the Institute's own moderate overlap test because most of the car's front-end crumple zone is bypassed, making it hard to dissipate crash energy. As a result, the occupant compartment can collapse. The small car category, which consists mostly of larger C-segment vehicles, performed better than the minicar class, with five good ratings and five acceptable ratings out of 17 cars tested.
