Murano is tops in crash test
Among seven crossovers, Dodge, Hyundai and Jeep get poor ratings in front-corner wrecks
Among seven crossovers, Dodge, Hyundai and Jeep get poor ratings in front-corner wrecks.
Jeep, Dodge and Hyundai all performed poorly in a difficult insurance industry crash test of sport-utility vehicles.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety completed testing of seven crossovers in its small overlap test. The Nissan Murano did the best, scoring “good” across all measurements.
The test evaluates what happens when 25% of a car’s front end on the driver’s side strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph, with test dummies onboard. It simulates a wreck in which the front corner of the car hits another car or solid object.
Such crashes account for nearly a quarter of frontal crashes involving serious or fatal injury, according to the institute.
Chrysler’s Jeep Wrangler four-door also scored a “good” rating. However, the institute said the Wrangler “offers only marginal protection in side and rear crashes, so it’s not a recommended choice.” The institute, an insurance industry group that researches automotive and driving safety, also said the Jeep lacks a fixed roof and won’t provide good protection in rollover crashes. Ford’s Flex was ranked “acceptable.” But the Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Cherokee and Dodge Durango had only “marginal” ratings. The Dodge Journey was labeled “poor” by the institute.
The test, which has been conducted since 2012, has been challenging to the auto industry and produced a high failure rate. Some automakers try to improve the performance of their vehicles when they redesign the car, which generally happens on a five-year cycle. Others have made modifications to strengthen the car and improve air bag performance even before a model gets a complete redesign.
“Many have adapted quickly,” said David Zuby, the institute’s chief research officer. “Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep have had some successes with redesigned models, but they haven’t done much in the way of interim improvements. As a result, they still have many models that rate poor or marginal.”
He said Nissan’s 2015 Murano, a recent redesign, “hit all the marks for ideal small overlap protection.”
The Dodge Journey, at the other end of the spectrum, represented “a classic example of poor small overlap protection,” Zuby said.