Arlington, Virginia - Most of the midsized SUVs that were crash tested by a prominent US safety group fared poorly, with the worst performer being the Dodge Journey, which sustained severe structural damages.
Of the seven models tested, Nissan's new Murano and Jeep's four-door Wrangler were the only vehicles to earn a 'good' rating, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The SUVs underwent the small overlap front crash test, which is tougher than the head-on crash tests used by the US government, according to automakers and IIHS.
Small overlap crashes, involving only the small front corner of a vehicle, affect the less protected outer edges of the car. In such crashes, the front wheel, suspension system and firewall bear the brunt, which can lead to serious leg and foot injuries. Ford's Flex was rated ‘acceptable’, while the rest received ‘marginal’ or ‘poor’ ratings, according to the IIHS.
The Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Cherokee and Dodge Durango were rated ‘marginal’.
In January, compact cars including the Fiat 500 and Honda Fit (Jazz) performed the worst of any vehicle segment in the test. -Reuters
IIHS OVERALL RATINGS
Dodge Journey - Poor
Dodge Durango - Marginal
Ford Flex - Acceptable
Jeep Cherokee - Marginal
Jeep Wrangler - Good
Hyundai Santa Fe - Marginal
Nissan Murano - Good