Mercedes R Klasse, Lincoln MKZ Get IIHS Top Safety Pick Award

The newest additions to the Insurance Institute's for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety picks are the Mercedes R Klasse and the Lincoln MKZ. Following tests which included front, side and rear test crashes, the two vehicles (a large SUV and a mid-sized luxury sedan) have qualified for this rating. The Top Safety pick award applies to 2009 model year R Klasse vehicles (built after September 2008) and for the 2010 model year Lincoln MKZ (built in 2009). Both of them are equipped, as standard, with electronic stability control.

"Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results," Institute president Adrian Lund said in a release.

The R Klasse scored a "good" rating in frontal offset tests, as well as in side impact crashes. IIHS did not conduct any roof strength tests, so the R Klasse was not rated under this category. The same ratings were awarded to the Lincoln MKZ.

In 2009, in the large SUV segment, the Top Safety Pick was also awarded to the Audi Q7, GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and Saturn Outlook. Other Top Safety Picks in Lincoln MKZ's class were the Acura TSX, Acura TL, Audi A4, Saab 9-3, the Mercedes C Klasse and the BMW 3 Series.

According to IIHS, "criteria to win are tough because the award is intended to drive continued safety improvements such as top crash test ratings and the rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard on the R class and the MKZ".