IIHS Front-to-Front Crash Test, Small Vs Midsized

As we told you earlier today, IIHS set out to prove once and for all that in case of a collision between two different sized cars, the bigger one usually wins the fight. IIHS put to the test several small and midsized vehicles, built by the same manufacturer, as follows: Honda Accord against Honda Fit, Mercedes C Klasse versus Smart Fortwo and Toyota Camry head on with Toyota Yaris. As we told you in the previous report, the small sized vehicles lost the battle, In Honda's case, the collision between the Accord and the Fit resulted in the smaller car inflicting more damage to the test dummy. The risk of leg injury in the Fit was high, while the head of the dummy struck the steering wheel through the airbag. Intrusion in the passenger cabin was extensive, giving the car a poor front-to-front crash rating, despite its good overall when "confronted" to a deformable barrier. Smart Fortwo didn't manage do to any better either. The small city car went airborne after hitting the C Klasse and turned around 450 degrees (just like the first generation Smart, put to the test by Auto Motor und Sport against a Mercedes S Klasse several years ago, as you can see in the video below). As with the Fit, the Smart witnessed major cabin intrusion, from the head to the feet of the dummy. The Toyota Yaris followed the trend set by its class contenders, as it to did not manage much against the Camry. The Yaris was nearly torn away, registering extensive force on the neck and legs, earning the Yaris a poor overall rating in front-to-front crash tests. Updated on April 15th with videos here.