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We Watch Satisfying BMW X1 Crash Tests, IIHS Gives It Top Safety Pick+ Rating

Watching car crashes is not only mesmerizing for some people, but it's also educational. One day, knowing how to avoid a truck or a drunk driver could save your life. The same thing goes for the tests performed by the IIHS. You might be surprised to learn that not all modern cars are safe as was the case with the trio of American pony cars.
We Watch Satisfying BMW X1 Crash Tests, IIHS Gives It Top Safety Pick+ Rating 9 photos
Photo: screenshot from Youtube
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No such problems were found with the 2016 BMW X1 crossover, which is a lot safer now than its previous version. The shortest car the Germans sell in America is one of their safest, having scored the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick Plus rating.

To do that, the X1 was subjected to numerous crash test scenarios, the toughest one of all being the small overlap test. Only about a four of the front end strikes the crash barrier, meaning the forces are much higher, increasing the chance of an injury happening. The BMW crossover scored a 'Good' rating, as the passenger cell held up with only a 4-inch intrusion next to the door.

However, we have to mention that this is a highly competitive market, where lots of crossovers have the Top Safety Pick+ rating. The only Kia Sportage was unsafe, but the new one is just as good as the BMW; so is the Hyundai Santa Fe; so is the Lincoln MKX.

As standard, the new X1 features Dynamic Traction Control, Dynamic Stability Control, Cornering Brake Control, Brake Dry Assist, TeleService, and Assist eCall. The IIHS also liked the optional City Collision Mitigation, Lane Departure Warning and Frontal Collision Warning with Pedestrian Warning. It would have been nice if BMW offered more safety equipment as standard, considering the X1 is expensive.

Our criticism doesn't start there, as the old X1 was built on a premium rear-wheel drive platform. This one shares its architecture with the MINI, making it much roomier yet less fun. In a market where every company is making the same car, they might have shot themselves in the foot with that decision.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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