Just one out of 10 SUVs receives 'good' crash test rating

Only one in 10 small SUVs evaluated during an updated crash test earned a «good» rating, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The organization announced Thursday that it has updated its vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test to address crashes that occur at higher speeds as well as crashes in which the struck vehicle is either a motorcycle or large truck.

Through research and evaluation, the group works to reduce deaths, injuries and property damage in motor vehicle crashes. This latest test update, according to IIHS President David Harkey, was «vital» to one of its more successful test-run programs.

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During the updated test, the Subaru Forester was the only small SUV to earn a «good» rating, according to the IIHS. Meanwhile, the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, achieved acceptable ratings.

The Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson and Jeep Compass earned marginal ratings, but the Chevrolet Equinox, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander and Volkswagen Taos rated poorly, according to the data.

«The vast majority of new vehicles now come with automatic emergency braking, and our research shows the technology prevents as many as half of all front-to-rear crashes,» he said. «This new, tougher evaluation targets some of the most dangerous front-to-rear crashes that are still happening.»

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The issue is that the original vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation was developed when the technology was relatively new. As a result, the performance requirements only addressed low-speed crashes, according to the IIHS. It had test runs at 12 mph and 25 mph. When the original evaluation was discontinued at the end of 2022, all of the vehicles that were tested were earning the top rating of superior.

The group said that separate research has also shown that the systems used today are less effective at preventing crashes with motorcycles and medium or heavy trucks than they are at preventing crashes with other passenger vehicles.

The updated test included trial runs at 31 mph, 37 mph and 43 mph. In