IIHS awards Top Safety Pick to 2011 Honda Odyssey, GM Lambda CUVs

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Safety, Crossover, Buick, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Honda

2011 Honda Odyssey IIHS roof test, Top Safety Pick

IIHS roof test on 2011 Honda Odyssey – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has announced that the 2011 Honda Odyssey, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia have all been named Top Safety Picks, the organization’s highest honor.

The Odyssey is the second minivan to earn the award since IIHS added roof strength requirements to its criteria for earning the Top Safety Pick designation, the other being the Toyota Sienna. Since the Honda minivan had already been tested and rated Good for front, side and rear crash protection, only the roof strength measurement was required this time around.

Similarly, the GMC Acadia was only tested for roof strength as it had already passed the previous crash-testing regimen. The Odyssey’s roof withstood a force more than five times the minivan’s weight; the Acadia managed four times its weight. To put this in context, a vehicle’s roof must be able to withstand 1.5 times its weight to pass the more lenient federal testing standards.

Because the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave share their architecture with the tested GMC Acadia, those vehicles were also awarded Top Safety Picks. See the photos of the roof testing below and the press release after the break.

Gallery: IIHS roof test on 2011 Honda Odyssey and GMC Acadia

IIHS roof test on 2011 GMC AcadiaIIHS roof test on 2011 Honda Odyssey

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

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IIHS awards Top Safety Pick to 2011 Honda Odyssey, GM Lambda CUVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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