The ratings carry over to 2022 models, except for the Hyundai Tucson and the Jeep Compass, the institute said.
“Obviously, these results aren’t great, but they’re in line with what we expected when we adopted this more stringent test,” said Becky Mueller, IIHS senior research engineer whose research was used to design the new test protocol.
All 20 of the tested vehicles received good ratings in an earlier version of the institute’s side crash tests, where the barrier weighed 3,300 pounds and traveled at 31 mph. In the new test, the barrier weighs 4,180 pounds and strikes the test vehicle at 37 mph. The institute said the new barrier also has a different design that “acts more like a real SUV or pickup” when it strikes another vehicle.
Ratings for both the original and the new tests are based on how well the occupant compartment structure holds its shape during the crash as well as injury measures collected from dummies in the driver seat and rear seat behind the driver, and how well the airbags protect both dummies’ heads.
Drivers of vehicles with a “good” side crash test rating are 70 percent less likely to die in a driver-side crash than drivers of vehicles with a “poor” rating, a 2011 study by IIHS found. However, side impacts still accounted for 23 percent of passenger-vehicle occupant deaths in 2019, the institute said.
“There’s no single reason why so many side crashes still result in fatalities,” Mueller said. “But these results provide a road map for specific improvements that can save lives.”
The institute said it will continue to require a “good” rating in the original side test for its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards until the criteria is updated in 2023.
