Less than a year since the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety adopted a new ratings program for front crash prevention, the organization hints that automakers have rapidly adopted or improved forward collision warning and automatic-braking capabilities.
Compared to a few years ago when Volvo was the only carmaker to offer such systems as standard, nowadays these are considered a must-have feature by a growing number of mainstream automobile manufacturers.
Mercedes-Benz and Acura sell these systems as standard equipment on a number of models, while the Volvo S60, S80 and XC60 are fitted with advanced-rated autobrake features. Basic-rated forward collision warning comes as standard on Acura's RLX and ZDX, as well as Mercedes-Benz's CLA, E-Class and M-Class.
According to the IIHS, 21 out of 24 cars and SUVs evaluated by the institute in 2014 earned an advanced or higher rating in the latest round of safety tests. Large family haulers and luxury cars represent the bulk of the test group.
Only 4 vehicles have been rated perfect scores when equipped with certain options. These are the BMW 5 Series, BMW X5, 2015 Hyundai Genesis and Mercedes-Benz's E-Class. The 3 models that earned a basic rating for forward collision warning or autobrake tests were the BMW 3 Series, Infiniti Q70 and Toyota Avalon.
The Buick Regal, Cadillac CTS, Cadillac XTS and Chevrolet Impala all got 5 out of 6 points based on performance in automatic braking tests and forward collision warning promptness. According to the IIHS, manufacturers that want to win a 2015 Top Safety Pick+ award will require an advanced or better rating for front crash prevention.
"We are already seeing improvements from automakers since the initial launch of our ratings last September," says David Zuby, executive vice president and chief research officer at the IIHS. "BMW and Lexus, for example, have added more braking capability to their systems, which has paid off in higher ratings."
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News