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2014 MINI Countryman Gets Top Safety Pick from IIHS

A new batch of tests were run by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the US and the data was just released, showing a surprising winner and some rather controversial results. The 2014 MINI Cooper Countryman was declared a 2014 Top Safety Pick, acing most of the tests.
2014 MINI Cooper Countryman IIHS Test 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from Youtube
The car received Good ratings on the small and moderate overlap front tests, the side crash test, roof strength and head & seats restraints. The safety features also made a good point, the Countryman being fitted, as standard, with side airbags (including head curtain airbags), passenger knee airbag, electronic stability control and antilock brakes.

According to the report issued by the IIHS, in case of a small overlap frontal crash, the data taken from the dummy showed “a low risk of any significant injuries in a crash of this severity. The dummy’s movement was well controlled. The dummy’s head loaded the frontal airbag, which stayed in front of the dummy until rebound.”

The results were even better in the moderate overlap front crash test, where the car received good ratings in all categories used by the institute to measure the effectiveness of the safety features.

An interesting test is the one that measures the roof strength, in case the vehicle rolls over after a crash. The test is conducted by pushing a metal plate against one side of it at a slow but constant speed. If the roof shows that it can withstand up to four times the weight of the car before caving in 5 inches, it gets a good rating. The Countryman’s roof showed that it can hold nearly 5 times as much.

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