Chevy Volt "adequate," Nissan Leaf "poor" in new IIHS security tests

With US Nissan Leaf deals up just about 30 percent amid the first a large portion of the year, the main thing that may have the capacity to stop the battery-electric vehicle is a decent, firm boundary. Shockingly, thing's aren't generally pretty when that happens in this present reality, as per new tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Things with the Chevrolet Volt amplified reach module are a tiny bit rosier, however. 

The two module vehicles were a piece of a clump of twelve vehicles that simply experienced the IIHS's "little cover" test, in which the driver's side front corner of the vehicle is collided with an unbending hindrance at 40 miles every hour. Out of the dozen, just the Mini Cooper Countryman was given a "decent" evaluating. Five vehicles, including the Volt and the Ford C-Max Hybrid, were evaluated "worthy," two were "minimal" and two, including the Leaf, were "poor." 

Module vehicles are remarkable in the accident test connection as a result of their moderately substantial battery sizes. In the Volt's case, the driver had an "okay" of damage, said the IIHS. However the Leaf's accident considerably pushed back the instrument board and directing section, making a situation where the driver was "likely" to manage leg wounds. The batteries in both the Leaf and the Volt finished security tests particularly focused at things like thermo and electrical properties and general respectability. 

"Nissan is pleased with the Leaf's "Great" rating in all different IIHS tests, a 4-star NCAP rating from NHTSA and its IIHS Top Safety Pick rating in all earlier years since the auto's discharge," the organization said in an email sent to AutoblogGreen. "Concerning the execution of the 2014 Leaf in the 'little cover frontal test,' Nissan will keep on reviewwing these and different results from the IIHS 'little cover frontal test' as we look for open doors for development." The Mini Cooper Countryman is the main little auto to acquire a decent evaluating among the most recent gathering of 12 autos subjected to the Institute's little cover front accident test. 

Two electric models and a cross breed additionally are in the blend, with shifted results. The electric-fueled Chevrolet Volt (with a gas motor "reach extender") wins a satisfactory rating, while its battery-electric adversary, the Nissan Leaf, procures a poor rating. The Ford C-Max Hybrid, a little four-entryway wagon, gains a worthy rating. An alternate little four-entryway wagon, the fuel controlled Mazda 5, is evaluated poor. 

Five little autos, every one of the 2014 models, procure a worthy rating, two win peripheral and four gain poor evaluations for tenant assurance in a little cover crash in the Institute's most recent round of assessments. The Institute now has assessed 32 little autos for little cover front accident security. Of them, 19 gain a decent or adequate rating and 13 acquire minimal or poor. 

Presented in 2012, the little cover test reproduces what happens when the front corner of a vehicle impacts an alternate vehicle or an item, for example, a tree or utility post. In the test, 25 percent of a vehicle's front end on the driver's side strikes an unbending hindrance at 40 mph (see "Little cover crashes: New customer test system goes for even more secure vehicles," Aug. 14, 2012). 

The test is more troublesome than either the head-on accidents led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the IIHS moderate cover test. In the little cover test, the principle structures of the vehicle's front-end pulverize zone are circumvent, making it hard for the vehicle to oversee crash vitality. The tenant compartment can fall accordingly. 

"The Mini Cooper Countryman gave a strong execution," says Joe Nolan, the Institute's senior VP for vehicle research. "The Countryman's security confine held up sensibly well. The security sashs and airbags cooperated to control the test sham's development, and harm measures show a generally safe of any huge wounds in a certifiable accident this extreme." 

The Countryman, presented in 2011, is a bigger four-entryway adaptation of the two-entryway Mini Cooper. The little cover rating for the Countryman doesn't make a difference to the two-entryway model, which hasn't been tried. 

To procure the top rating of great, automakers need to spotlight on general accident security. That implies a tenant compartment that opposes interruption, security cinchs that keep a driver from pitching too far forward and side shade airbags that give enough forward scope to pad a head at danger of hitting the dashboard or window casing or things outside the vehicle. Giving way structures can thump front airbags and seats out of position, intensifying the issue. 

"Breakdown of the tenant compartment is the destruction for four little autos in this gathering, including the Fiat 500L, Mazda 5, Nissan Juke and Nissan Leaf," Nolan clarifies. "A strong tenant compartment permits the limitation frameworks to do their occupation, engrossing vitality and controlling inhabitant movement." 

In the Fiat 500L, a four-entryway variation of the much littler Fiat 500 car, interrupting structure truly traded off the driver's survival space, thumping the guiding wheel back and to the privilege of the driver. That put the front airbag out of position so the sham's head slid off the left side and hit the A-column. Despite the fact that sensors in the head demonstrate the effect wasn't extreme, contact with hard surfaces shouldn't happen. Furthermore, damage measures taken from the sham show genuine harm to the driver's left hip would be likely, and wounds to both lower legs would be conceivable in a true crash of this seriousness. The Fiat 500L (and 500) acquires a poor rating for little cover front accident security. 

Initially comes about for Mazda 5 

The Mazda 5 imparts the qualification to two different autos of being the most exceedingly bad performing models the Institute has assessed in the little cover test. The other two are the 2014 Kia Forte, a little auto, and the 2012 Prius v, a medium size cross breed. 

"When we tried the Mazda 5 we saw a large group of structural and limitation framework issues. Parts of the tenant compartment basically clasped, permitting an abundant excess interruption," Nolan says. 

Harm measures taken from the sham demonstrate a high danger of wounds to the left thigh and left lower leg in a true crash this serious. The controlling wheel moved to the privilege, and the sham's head scarcely reached the front airbag before sliding off the left side. The security sash permitted the sham's head and middle to make headway with too far, so the head reached the left half of the dashboard. The side shade airbag didn't convey whatsoever, presenting the head to contacts with side structure and outside articles. In addition, the driver entryway unlatched amid the test, something that shouldn't happen and puts inhabitants at danger of being shot out from the vehicle. 

The Mazda 5 additionally is unique in that it is the main vehicle in this gathering to procure a negligible rating in one of the Institute's other four assessments - moderate cover front, side, rollover and back. The Mazda 5 procures a negligible rating in the side effect test. That additionally makes it the main 2014-model auto the Institute has assessed to acquire anything short of what worthy in the side test. Most models acquire a decent appraising. Measures taken from the driver sham show a reasonable pelvis crack, and measures taken from the sham situated in the back traveler seat demonstrate that rib breaks and/or other inward organ wounds would be conceivable in an accident of this seriousness. 

This is the first run through the Institute has distributed appraisals for the Mazda 5 in the full battery of tests. The little wagon battled in the little cover front and side tests. The Mazda 5 is the main 2014 model auto assessed to gain anything short of what worthy in the side test. The Institute has been assessing models for side effect assurance since 2003. 

Volt and Leaf electrics 

In 2011, the Volt and Leaf were the first standard module electric models to experience IIHS accident test assessments. The 2011 models earned top appraisals in the moderate cover front, side, head restriction and top quality assessments (see "Security now comes in green: first crash tests of electric autos," April 26, 2011). That is still the case with the 2014 variants of both autos. 

"Electric vehicles have a novel test in the little cover test in light of their overwhelming batteries. The Volt performed sensibly well, acquiring an adequate rating, while the Leaf battled," Nolan says. 

Driver space in the Volt was kept up sensibly well in the test, and harm measures taken from the sham show an okay of any noteworthy wounds to an individual in a comparative accident. In the Leaf, the sham had an alternate experience. The Leaf credited as much as 16 inches of interruption in the lower inhabitant compartment and 14 inches in the upper tenant compartment. The instrument board, stopping brake pedal and guiding segment were all pushed over to the driver. Wounds to the left knee and left lower leg would be likely in an accident of this seriousness, and wounds to the left thigh would be conceivable. 

Honor victors 

The Volt, which has an essential appraised discretionary forward crash cautioning framework, is the main auto in this test gathering to procure a 2014 TOP SAFETY PICK+ grant. The C-Max Hybrid, Countryman, Mitsubishi Lancer, and the Scion FR-S and its twin the Subaru BRZ meet all requirements for TOP SAFETY PICK, the Institute's second-most astounding grant. These models miss the "in addition to" recompense in light of the fact that they don't have an accessible front accident avoidance framework. 

To fit the bill for TOP SAFETY PICK+, a vehicle must procure a decent or satisfactory rating for little cover insurance, a great rating in the Institute's other four tests, and an essential, progressed or unrivaled rating for front accident anticipation. To fit the bill for TOP SAFETY PICK, a vehicle must acquire a decent or adequate rating for little cover security and a decent evaluating in the other four tests. 

"Customers in the business for a little auto now have six models to consider on our rundown of 2014 TOP SAFETY PICK+ recompense victors, and an extra 13 that acquire TOP SAFETY PICK," Nolan says. "Shoppers exchanging the intrinsic security of a bigger vehicle for the comfort or efficiency of a little auto ought to center their inquiry on these vehicles with best in class wellbeing plans."