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Official: 2014 Honda Odyssey first minivan to earn Top Safety Pick+ award [w/video]

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Safety, Videos, Honda

2014 Honda Odyssey IIHS crash test

You know an automaker is confident about the safety of its vehicles when it asks one of the top crash test agencies to destroy one of its newest models. That’s exactly what happened with the 2014 Honda Odyssey. According the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Honda requested that the agency run the updated Odyssey through its full barrage of tests, and for good reason.

Aside from slight styling upgrades and a new optional HondaVac built-in vacuum cleaner, the 2014 Odyssey was also given a more rigid passenger compartment using high-strength steel to help better protect occupants. It obviously worked. Following the crash tests, the 2014 Odyssey became the first minivan to earn a Top Safety Pick+ rating, but, more importantly, it did so with “Good” ratings in all five crash categories (four “Goods” and one “Acceptable” are enough for the TSP+). Impressive.

Scroll down for the crash-test video from the IIHS along with a press release.

Continue reading 2014 Honda Odyssey first minivan to earn Top Safety Pick+ award [w/video]

2014 Honda Odyssey first minivan to earn Top Safety Pick+ award [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Aug 2013 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Six small cars earn IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards [w/video]

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Sedan, Safety, Hatchback, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Scion, Volkswagen

2013 Honda Civic Sedan IIHS crash test
IIHS Top Safety Pick + Award
The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety has released the results of its latest small overlap front crash tests, and there’s a surprise among small cars. IIHS tested 12 cars, half of which managed “Good” or “Acceptable” ratings overall, qualifying them for the the coveted Top Safety Pick+.

Top Safety Pick+ is still a fairly rare achievement since the new small overlap crash tests were instituted, as it’s taken manufacturers time to design, engineer, build and bring to market cars that can score well on the new metric.

The overlap front crash test covers the car’s structure, restraint systems and kinematics, as well as measuring the “injuries” the crash test dummy’s heads, necks, chests, hips, thighs, legs and feet.

The highest scorers were the Honda Civic Sedan, followed closely by the Civic Coupe. These were also the only two to earn overall scores of “Good.” The Dodge Dart, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Scion tC all earned acceptable scores overall, which was still enough to qualify them for the TSP+ rating. The bottom half of the test included the Chevrolet Sonic, Volkswagen Beetle, Chevrolet Cruze, Nissan Sentra, Kia Soul and Kia Forte.

Only 25 models have earned the TSP+ rating so far, which requires cars to earn “Good” ratings for occupant protection in four out of five tests, while scoring at least an acceptable on the fifth test.
Click through for the full press release from IIHS, as well as a video

Continue reading Six small cars earn IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards [w/video]

Six small cars earn IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Aug 2013 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos

2011 nissan juke crash test

Small cars score big in latest IIHS crash tests – Click above to watch video after the jump

Thirteen enter, six leave … with Top Safety Pick awards. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety spent some time driving (and smashing) a big group of small cars. Six of those cars received top honors from the IIHS by scoring a rating of “Good” across the board. The 2012 Ford Focus, 2012 Honda Civic sedan, 2011 Hyunda Elantra, 2011 Lexus CT200h, 2011 Nissan Juke and 2011 Toyota Prius are all the small-car place to be in the event of an accident.

This crop of small cars are also quite fuel efficient. All vehicles in the top six offer a version that gets at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

The rest of the vehicles tested faired well. Only the older Suzuki SX4 and Dodge Caliber received “Mediocre” ratings in some categories. Every car tested, however, received multiple “Good” ratings. Click past the jump to watch the IIHS talk about about the small car crash tests. Also, be sure to check out the breakdown of the ratings by vehicle (pdf file).

Continue reading IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video]

IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra earn IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards

Filed under: Truck, Safety, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Nissan, Toyota

2011 Ford F-150 IIHS Full-Size Pickup Rollover Crash Test

IIHS Full-Size Pickup Rollover Crash Testing – Click above for high-res image gallery

Like their body-on-frame SUV cousins, full-size pickup trucks are more prone to roll over than a standard passenger car. That’s exactly why it’s so important to have a vehicle that earns good marks in roof-strength tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just released the data on its recent volley of tests on full-size pickup trucks, and both the 2011 Ford F-150 and 2011 Toyota Tundra earned the coveted Top Safety Pick designation. The vehicles earned the highest possible rating of ‘good’ in the institutes crush test, where a large steel plate is pressed against one corner of the roof to calculate a strength-to-weight ratio.

Meanwhile, the 2011 Nissan Titan took home an acceptable rating in the rollover evaluation while the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado, 2011 GMC Sierra and 2011 Ram 1500 netted marginal scores.

IIHS says that the roof on the Toyota Tundra stood up to 4.5 times the truck’s weight while the F-150 handled 4.7 times the pressure. A vehicle must withstand 4 times its weight before five-inches of crush is detected before being awarded a Good rating. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra earn IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards

Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra earn IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 May 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Hyundai Equus named IIHS ‘Top Safety Pick’

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Hyundai, Luxury

hyundai equus top safety pick

2011 Hyundai Equus IIHS Top Safety Pick – Click above for high-res image gallery

Our long-term Hyundai Equus has already impressed our staff with its copious level of luxury refinement and general largess. Now Hyundai can put another notch in the belt of its luxury sedan after being designated an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick.

The Equus won the award by scoring a “Good” in front, side, rollover and rear crash protection. The Equus also manged to surpass the stringent IIHS requirement for roof strength, as the big sedan was found to have a roof that can support a force equal to 4.87 times its weight. To receive a “Good” score, a roof must be able to support at least four times its weight. The Equus also features electronic stability control; another must-have to receive a Top Safety Pick designation.

Click on the gallery below to see high-resolution pics of a $60,000 luxury sedan getting destroyed in the name of science and safety.

Gallery: Hyundai Equus IIHS Top Safety Pick

Hyundai Equus IIHS Top Safety Pick

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

2011 Hyundai Equus named IIHS ‘Top Safety Pick’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Volvo S60 earns IIHS Top Safety Pick award

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Volvo, Luxury

2012 Volvo S60 IIHS Crash Tests

2012 Volvo S60 IIHS crash tests – Click above for high-res image gallery

Volvo can stick another feather in its safety cap. The 2012 S60 has officially been awarded an IIHS Top Safety Pick judgement by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. That means the sedan managed to net top ratings in all IIHS crash tests, including front, side, rollover and rear evaluations. Vehicles awarded the Top Safety Pick designation must also come standard with electronic stability control.

According to the IIHS, it’s been a while since the S60 has carried the institute’s highest honor. The vehicle’s previous generation had no problem netting good ratings in both front and rear tests, but was only rated as acceptable in side impact evaluations. Additionally, the new roof strength tests weren’t in place for the vehicle’s last iteration. IIHS says that Volvo improved the design of the S60 enough to net higher side impact ratings and pass the new rollover tests with flying colors.

IIHS says that the roof of the S60 stood up to 4.95 times the weight of the vehicle. Currently, the federal standard is only requires a vehicle to withstand a force equivalent to 1.5 times its weight. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: 2012 Volvo S60 IIHS Crash Tests

[Source: IIHS]

Continue reading 2012 Volvo S60 earns IIHS Top Safety Pick award

2012 Volvo S60 earns IIHS Top Safety Pick award originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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 Acadia IIHS roof test on 2011 Honda Odyssey

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

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

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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YOU pick Autoblog’s long-term 2011 Mini Countryman

Filed under: Crossover, Mini, Long-Term Garage

2011 Mini Countryman

Help pick Autoblog’s long-term Mini Countryman – Click each image for high-res version

When we found out that we’d be adding a 2011 Mini Countryman to our long-term test fleet, our editors headed right to the configurator to start building our perfect car. We all agree that we want the turbocharged Countryman S with the automaker’s All4 all-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission, and we had no problem ticking the boxes for options like the sport, premium and cold weather packs, not to mention the new Mini Connected infotainment system. But when it came to decide on aesthetic things like interior and exterior color schemes, we hit a wall. With hundreds upon hundreds of possible build combinations, we just couldn’t agree on one car.

That’s where you come in. Our editors have narrowed down our Countryman configurations to four finalists, and we’re asking you, our readers, to decide which one will be invited to spend one year with the Autoblog staff. Again, the only differences between these vehicles are purely visual, consisting only of paint, roof, mirror, stripe and wheel colors on the exterior, and seat fabric, main color and accent color on the interior. It’s also important to note that the paint colors you see here appear slightly darker in the Mini configurator than they do in real life. Here’s the rundown:

Countryman #1 – Surf Blue, white roof, white mirrors, no bonnet stripes, 18-inch light silver alloy wheels, polar beige leather interior, carbon black interior accents
Countryman #2 – Bright Yellow, black roof, black mirrors, black bonnet stripes, 18-inch dark anthracite alloy wheels, light tobacco cloth/leather interior, carbon black interior accents
Countryman #3 – True Blue, white roof, white mirrors, white bonnet stripes, 18-inch light silver alloy wheels, light tobacco cloth/leather interior, polar beige interior accents
Countryman #4 – Oxford Green, white roof, white mirrors, 18-inch white alloy wheels, no bonnet stripes, polar beige leather interior, carbon black interior accents

We’re leaving the final decision up to all of you. Scroll down to vote in our poll for the Countryman that you want to see as Autoblog’s next long-term car. This poll will officially close on Monday, February 7 at 3:00 PM EST, at which point we’ll let Mini know which car has the most votes. You can also build your own ideal version at Mini’s online Countryman configurator; let us know what you come up with in the comments.

Our long-term Countryman order is in your hands. Choose wisely!

View Poll

Gallery: Long-Term Mini Countryman Options

2011 Mini Countryman

YOU pick Autoblog’s long-term 2011 Mini Countryman originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 earn Top Safety Pick awards

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Chrysler, Dodge

2011 Dodge Charger crash test

2011 Dodge Charger – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s no secret that the 2011 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 are more attractive and are substantially more refined than the models they replace. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the new LX-platform twins are also incredibly safe, too – earning the company’s prestigious Top Safety Pick designation for the first time ever.

To note, the last-generation Charger and 300 earned the second-lowest rating available in side impact protection, even when equipped with side-curtain airbags. Yikes. On the other hand, the 2011 Charger withstood a force equal to 5.37 times the car’s weight during the roof strength test (for rollover protection). The current federal standard for this test is 1.5 times the car’s weight.

Chrysler has now earned seven Top Safety Pick ratings for its latest crop of 2011 vehicles. To read the press release about the Charger and 300’s earnings, follow the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Dodge Charger: First Drive

2011 Dodge Charger

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

Continue reading 2011 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 earn Top Safety Pick awards

2011 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 earn Top Safety Pick awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German OEMs pick one electrical charging connector to rule them all

Filed under: Hybrid, Europe, Government/Legal, Technology, Electric

One massive sticking point with electric cars is the lack of standards when it comes to plugging in the vehicle. In the 90s, the General Motors EV1 didn’t use the same kind of plug as the Toyota RAV4 EV, and that meant electric vehicle charging stations had to keep multiple adapters on hand if they wanted to service to multiple machinery.

If there’s any hope that EVs will take off in popularity over the next few decades, some standardization is in order. To that end, German manufacturers Audi, BMW, Daimler (Mercedes-Benz and Smart), Porsche and Volkswagen have banded together banded together in support of a modular connector system for electric vehicle charging.

The consortium’s connector system has been submitted for standardization under the designation IEC 62196-2 Type 2 for single- and three-phase charging with alternating current, and a DC extension is currently under development. If all goes according to plan, this new plug system will be ready for use by 2013.

It’s important to note that there are other plug designs and standards in the works as well, most notably the IEC 62196-2 Type 1 (which is favored by Japanese automakers and is the same as the SAE J1772 proposal in the U.S.). In other words, there could be one standard plug in Japan and the States, and another one in Europe. Sounds familiar, no?

Not surprisingly, the SAE has issued something of a response to this new development from Germany, highlighting that its plug and receptacle are ready to go and available now. Read more here. Thanks for the tip, Roy!

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading German OEMs pick one electrical charging connector to rule them all

German OEMs pick one electrical charging connector to rule them all originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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