Ford Focus, Volvo C30 win top side-impact safety ratings from IIHS

(July 2009) The Ford Focus and the Volvo C30 two-door models got top ratings for side impact crashes by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, it was announced on July 21. To evaluate the extent to which automakers are extending crashworthiness improvements to two-door cars, the Institute conducted front, side, and rear tests of 2009 coupes including the Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, and Scion tC, all small models, plus the midsize Volvo C30.

The Focus and the C30 rated best in group of five earning good ratings in all three of the Institute's tests. Equipped with optional electronic stability control, the Focus qualifies as a 2009 Top Safety Pick among small cars. The midsize C30 also earned the award.

Seven small cars and 10 midsize moderately priced models now earn the award, the Institute's top safety designation. The list of winners makes it easier for consumers to zero in on vehicles in each class that afford the best overall crash protection, the institute said.

In the side impact tests, the Ford and the Volvo rated good, while the Honda Civic, Chevrolet Cobalt and Scion tC rated acceptable. The Cobalt's rating applies to vehicles built after May 2009 when General Motors modified the car's side-curtain airbags.

"Overall the results for two-door cars are good news," said David Zuby, institute senior vice president for vehicle research.

All but one — the Scion tC — earned good ratings in the frontal offset test, and none of the five earned anything less than an acceptable rating overall, Zuby said. "This is pretty good, considering how demanding the side test is. It simulates being struck by a pickup or SUV."

"Choosing a vehicle that provides top-notch crash protection is easier than ever," Zuby said. "With so many choices, there's no reason to buy something with less than the best crash test ratings."

Zuby noted that the tC's structure held up well, but overall performance wasn't as good as the other cars in the frontal offset test. Forces recorded on the driver dummy indicate that an injury to the lower right leg would be possible, and a high head acceleration occurred when the dummy's head bottomed out the airbag. The tC is unique in this group for having a separate airbag in the lower instrument panel designed to minimize knee injuries in frontal crashes.

The tC doesn't have electronic stability control, which research shows can significantly reduce the risk of crashing — especially getting into a serious single-vehicle crash. This feature reduces fatal single-vehicle crash risk by 51 percent and fatal multiple-vehicle crash risk by 20 percent, Zuby said.

The fact that there were no poor performers in side test crashes is very important, Zuby said. Side impacts are the second most common type of fatal crash. More than 8,000 people were killed in side impacts in 2007.