Watch the 2020 Mazda3 Getting Smashed by the IIHS and Earning a Top Safety Pick

The IIHS tested both the sedan and the hatchback versions of the car and found both to be safe enough to deserve a Top Safety Pick classification. The hatch earned the distinction wearing nothing but the standard equipment, while the sedan did the same fitted with the optional front crash prevention system.

The Mazda3 was for the first time tested under the organization’s passenger-side small overlap front test, and received a good rating. For all available headlights, the IIHS rated the Mazda3 as acceptable.

The crash avoidance features worked in the IIHS tests when it came to avoiding collisions at speeds of 12 mph and 25 mph, with the forward collision warning components meeting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards.

As detailed when it was introduced, the new 2020 version of the car sets new safety standards for the nameplate, in terms of both the active and passive systems deployed.

For the new generation, the A-pillar has been modified in terms of both thickness and shape, reducing to the minimum obstruction angle and the resulting blind spots. Also, as a first for the range, the new Mazda3 comes with a knee airbag for the driver’s seat.

To qualify for a Top Safety Pick rating, a car must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests and a good or acceptable rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test. A superior rating for front crash prevention and a good or acceptable headlight rating are also required.