Small SUVs are failing the new IIHS side crash test

Small SUVs are currently among the most popular vehicles with buyers, but they’re not doing so well in crash testing, according to the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The independent, non-profit safety association has introduced a new, tougher side crash test that approximates higher-speed crashes, which often end with fatalities. In its first test of 20 small SUVs from model years 2020-2021, only the 2021 Mazda CX-5 earned the top “Good” rating.

Earning the next-down “Acceptable” rating were the Audi Q3, Buick Encore, Chevrolet Trax, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Venza, and Volvo XC40.

“Marginal” rating went to the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, GMC Terrain, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Compass, Jeep Renegade, Kia Sportage, and Lincoln Corsair. The Honda HR-V and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross rated “Poor.”

All were 2021 models except for the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, which didn’t come out for that model year and saw a 2020 vehicle crashed instead. Other than the Compass and Tucson, the ratings will carry over to the 2022 model year.

“We developed this new test because we suspected there was room for more progress, and the results confirm that,” said David Harkey, president of IIHS. “The ‘good’ rating for the CX-5 shows that robust protection in a more severe side crash is achievable.”

All of the 20 vehicles tested earned “Good” ratings in the previous generation of the test. When that test was introduced in 2003, only about one in five vehicles earned that top score. IIHS senior research engineer Becky Mueller, whose research was the basis for the new test, said, “Obviously, these results aren’t great, but they’re in line with what we expected when we adopted this more stringent test.”

The new test uses a heavier barrier and strikes the tested vehicle at a higher speed. It weighs 4,180 lbs (1,896 kg), which the IIHS said is “close to the weight of today’s midsize SUVs,” and it strikes the test vehicle at 37 mph (60 km/h). The previous barrier was 3,300 lbs (1,496 kg) travelling at 31 mph (50 km/h). The new test strikes with 82 per cent more energy, and the barrier’s striking surface has a new design to mimic a real SUV or truck.

The test determines how well the cabin structure maintains its shape, injuries to dummies in the driver’s seat and left passenger seat, and how well the airbags protect the heads. The dummy in both positions is sized as a small woman. Only five vehicles tested earned “Good” or “Acceptable” scores for protection against pelvis and chest injuries. The researchers believe the new barrier bends around the B-pillar between the doors, and occupants can still be injured even if the B-pillar withstands the impact. IIHS said manufacturers will likely need to strengthen the horizontal door beams, and adjust their side airbags for more coverage and cushioning.

In 2011, the IIHS studied 10 years’ worth of crash data, and found that drivers in vehicles rated “Good” were 70 per cent less likely to die in a driver’s-side crash than one in a vehicle rated “Poor.” However, in 2019, side impacts still accounted for 23 per cent of vehicle occupant deaths in the U.S.

In another report, the IIHS said that after having launched ratings for headlight performance in 2016, research shows that vehicles with “Good” headlight rates have nighttime crash rates per mile that are nearly 20 per cent lower than those with “Poor” ratings, while those with “Acceptable” lights are 15 per cent lower, and “Marginal” have 10 per cent lower crash rates than “Poor” lights.

The IIHS said illumination varies greatly among different headlights in real-world conditions, but the “outdated federal standard effectively branded them all equal,” and that federal headlight regulations “have not changed significantly since 1968” and “are not stringent enough.” High-quality headlights are now an IIHS requirement to earn its highest awards of Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+, and since the headlight program’s inception, due to manufacturer improvements, the number of lights earning a “Good” rating has increased from 4 per cent to 29 per cent.