William Simpson
When it comes to driving a safe SUV, size matters, but some larger models offer more protection than others, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS.
Case in point: The Jeep Wagoneer is the only one of three popular large SUVs to qualify for a 2024 Top Safety Pick award, which is one step below its highest rating, the IIHS said Thursday in releasing new ratings.
The Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition, also top-sellers, fell short for reasons including below-average performance in the small-overlap frontal crash test, the Arlington, Va.-based nonprofit said. More than 90% of new models have passed the evaluation with good ratings since 2021, the IIHS noted.
All three vehicles are designed to carry people and tow boats and campers, but none offer good protection for rear-seat passengers, an issue that prevented the Wagoneer from earning the top-tier Top Safety Pick+ award.
“The enormous mass of these large SUVs provides some additional protection in collisions with smaller vehicles, although this also means they present more danger to other road users,” IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement. “The flip side of their large size is that there is a lot more force to control when they collide with a fixed obstacle, like a tree or a bridge pillar or the barrier we use in our frontal crash tests.”
Good rating
The Wagoneer did a good job maintaining survival space for the driver and front passenger in the small overlap assessment. Performance was slightly worse in the driver’s side test: A slight intrusion into the footwell carried a modest risk of injury to the driver’s left foot and ankle, the IIHS found. In driver- and passenger-side testing, front and side curtain airbags prevented the dummies’ heads from hitting the vehicle’s rigid structures.
Acceptable Rating
The Tahoe maintained adequate survival space for the driver but substantial risk of leg injury. Performance was worse in the passenger-side test, with the IIHS finding a high risk of injury to the right foot and a moderate risk of injury to the passenger’s left leg.
Marginal rating
The Expedition did not perform well in either side’s tests. In the driver’s side test, the steering column partially separated from the instrument panel, and in both tests the A-pillar separated from the rocker panel. Excessive intrusion into the footwell contributed to a high risk of injury to the driver’s right leg and a moderate risk to the left. Footwell intrusion was also observed to a lesser extent in passenger-side testing, the IIHS found.
The vehicles received varying ratings in other tests, including preventing pedestrian accidents. The frontal collision avoidance systems in the Expedition and Wagoneer received good marks, while the Tahoe received a marginal rating.
g esportes
globo logo
g1 da globo
notícias da globo
ge.com globo
uol o melhor do conteúdo
