Scrutiny after Jeep Wrangler rolls
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles says it will evaluate the results of the Jeep Wrangler’s latest crash test embarrassment. Nile Bijoux reports.
The new Jeep Wrangler has been in the dog-box a bit recently after it rolled during two safety tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States.
In two tests conducted by IIHS, the Wrangler rolled onto its passenger side after striking the test barrier, however, in Fiat Chrysler’s internal tests, the carmaker says the Wrangler did not tip over.
After the Wrangler rolled in the audit test, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) questioned whether this outcome was related to the method that IIHS engineers had used to attach the vehicle to the crash propulsion system.
So the IIHS agreed to conduct a second test using a different method, which was approved by Fiat Chrysler. The second test also ended with the vehicle tipping on its side.
The IIHS did say that the Wrangler performed well by the ‘‘normal metrics used to evaluate performance in the driver-side small overlap test’’ and that the driver’s space was maintained well, and the dummy’s movement was wellcontrolled.
However, it also said that the partial rollover presents ‘‘an additional injury risk beyond what the standard criteria are intended to measure’’ and that a vehicle tipping onto its side is ‘‘not an acceptable outcome for a frontal crash’’ and as a result, the Wrangler’s overall rating was downgraded to ‘‘marginal’’.
It pays to mention that the Wrangler’s roof and doors can be removed, which means it doesn’t have side curtain airbags that would usually help out in a rollover.
Now, FCA has responded to the tests, saying it would ‘‘continue to evaluate’’ the results of the IIHS test.
‘‘While all of these results validated the vehicle’s structural integrity, we continue to evaluate them, as we do all thirdparty ratings. We routinely consider such third-party evaluations during our product development processes ,’’ FCA said.
Separately, FCA elaborated on the Wrangler’s safety record, saying it had produced ‘‘more than 500,000 of these vehicles’’ that ‘‘by conservative estimate’’ had accounted for 6.7 billion miles of on-road driving.
‘‘From this population, we are unaware of any incidents that correlate to the vehicle dynamic portion of the IIHS test result,’’ FCA said.
‘‘With more than 75 available safety and security features, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited meets or exceeds all federal safety standards and continues to win acclaim from news organisations and consumer groups.
‘‘FCA routinely monitors third-party evaluations and factors such findings into our product-development process. We design our vehicles for realworld performance. And realworld data, along with continuing demand, indicate the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited meets or exceeds customer expectations.’’
Locally, the latest Wrangler was awarded a one-star rating by the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) based on a similar single star outcome from the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP).
The ANCAP rating was revised up to a three-star rating later in the year when an update added autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and blind-spot monitoring as standard across the Wrangler range.
The Wrangler isn’t alone in its poor ANCAP rating though. The Suzuki Jimny carries a three-star sticker, hurt by poor pedestrian performance and safety equipment.
Ford’s Mustang was also given three stars when it was retested in 2017. A tragic 32 per cent score on child occupant safety pulled the final star grade down.