Midsized SUVs Do Well in Tougher IIHS Side Impact Testing
More than half of the models tested received a Good rating
When the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) beefed up its side impact crash testing last year, most small SUVS fared poorly, with only one vehicle getting the organization’s top Good rating. These vehicles were already on the market and manufacturers had not adjusted the vehicle design to meet the new test standards, further amplifying the importance of regularly updating crash test standards. Now, several months later, IIHS reports that more than half of the midsized SUVs it tested recently using the new, more rigorous side impact test scored well.
“It’s encouraging to see so many midsized SUVs from different automakers earn Good ratings in this more challenging evaluation,” says Becky Mueller, IIHS’s senior research engineer. “These results will help confirm the adjustments they need to make to other vehicles going forward.”
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