Minicars Score Poorly in IIHS Crash Tests

Just one of 11 minicars tested in an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety small overlap front crash test achieved an acceptable rating.

The Chevrolet Spark earned an acceptable rating in the test, along with good ratings in the Institute’s four other crashworthiness evaluations. The minicar received a 2014 Top Safety Pick award as a result.

Introduced in 2012, the small overlap test replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole. In the test, 25 percent of a vehicle’s front end on the driver’s side strikes a rigid barrier at 40 mph.

The test is more difficult than the head-on crashes conducted by the government or the longstanding IIHS moderate overlap test because most of the vehicle’s front-end crush zone is bypassed. That makes it hard for the vehicle to manage crash energy, and the occupant compartment can collapse as a result.

The two worst performers were the Honda Fit and the Fiat 500. In both cases, intruding structure seriously compromised the driver’s space, and the steering column was pushed back toward the driver. In the case of the Fit, the dummy’s head barely contacted the frontal airbag before sliding off and hitting the instrument panel. During the test of the 500, the driver door opened after the hinges tore. An open door creates a risk that the driver could be partially or completely ejected.