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Chevy Volt 'acceptable,' Nissan Leaf 'poor' in new IIHS safety tests

Ford C-Max Hybrid also scored "acceptable" rating. With US Nissan Leaf sales up almost 30 percent during the first half of the year, the only thing that might be able to stop the battery-electric vehicle is a good, stiff barrier. Unfortunately, thing's aren't always pretty when that happens in the real world, according to new tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Things with the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in are a little bit rosier, though. The two plug-in vehicles were part of a batch of a dozen vehicles that just went through the IIHS's "small overlap" test, in which the driver's side front corner of the vehicle is crashed into a rigid barrier at 40 miles per hour. Out of the dozen, only the Mini Cooper Countryman was given a "good" rating. Five vehicles, including the Volt and the Ford C-Max Hybrid, were rated "acceptable," two were "marginal" and two, including the Leaf, were "poor." Plug-in vehicles are unique in the crash-test context because of their relatively large battery sizes. In the Volt's case, the driver had a "low risk" of injury, said the IIHS. But the Leaf's crash substantially pushed back the instrument panel and steering column, creating a scenario where the driver was "likely" to sustain leg injuries. The batteries in both the Leaf and the Volt passed safety tests specifically targeted at things like thermo and electrical properties and overall integrity. "Nissan is proud of the Leaf's 'Good' rating in all other IIHS tests, a 4-star NCAP rating from NHTSA and its IIHS Top Safety Pick rating in all previous years since the car's release," the company said in an e-mail sent to AutoblogGreen. "As for the performance of the 2014 Leaf in the 'small overlap frontal test,' Nissan will continue to review these and other results from the IIHS 'small overlap frontal test' as we seek opportunities for improvement." Check out the IIHS's press release and small car crash-test video footage below. Range of ratings: Small car ratings run the gamut in challenging small overlap front test The Mini Cooper Countryman is the only small car to earn a good rating among the latest group of 12 cars subjected to the Institute's small overlap front crash test. Two electric models and a hybrid also are in the mix, with varied results. The electric-powered Chevrolet Volt (with a gasoline engine "range extender") earns an acceptable rating, while its battery-electric rival, the Nissan Leaf, earns a poor rating.

Sunday Drive: A tale of old favorites and upcoming challengers

Sedans and crossovers dominated the attention of our readers last week, led by the completely redesigned 2018 Honda Accord. It's the Japanese automaker's flagship, and people are seriously interested in finding out how good the latest Accord is. So interested, in fact, that no other single story came close to the brand-new Accord in Autoblog reader interest. Moving down the list we find the equally new 2018 Buick Enclave. The three-row crossover has a lot to offer a family, especially one looking for a nice, quiet ride. If you're looking for the exact opposite of nice and quiet, but still want enough room for you and your significant others, the Subaru WRX that we tested last week may be the perfect ride for you. Or, if you just want to drive fast and aren't at all worried about space, there's the Camaro SS. See? We offer something for everybody. From there, we look to the future. Who isn't interested in seeing the first fully electric vehicle from Porsche? And who isn't intrigued to see the Mission E testing alongside a gaggle of Teslas? A brand-new Jeep is always a big deal, especially when it's the revival of a classic nameplate like the Grand Wagoneer. And finally, we have something completely different: the Rezvani Tank. As always, tune in to Autoblog next week for a front-row seat to all the happenings worth following in the automotive industry. 2018 Honda Accord First Drive | Feels like home again 2018 Buick Enclave First Drive Review | Fortress of quietude 2018 Subaru WRX Drivers' Notes | Turbo traditionalist 2018 Chevy Camaro SS Drivers' Notes | Demonstrative power, middling interior Porsche Mission E caught testing against Teslas Jeep three-row SUV caught on public roads — Grand Wagoneer, perhaps? Rezvani Tank: It's like a Hot Wheels car brought to life Green Buick Chevrolet Honda Jeep Porsche Subaru Crossover SUV Electric Future Vehicles Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Special and Limited Editions Performance Sedan porsche mission e sunday drive

Poor headlights cause 40 cars to miss IIHS Top Safety Pick rating

Over the past few months, we've noticed a number of cars and SUVs that have come incredibly close to earning one of the IIHS's highest accolades, the Top Safety Pick rating. They have great crash test scores and solid automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning systems. What trips them up is headlights. That got us wondering, how many vehicles are there that are coming up short because they don't have headlights that meet the organization's criteria for an "Acceptable" or "Good" rating. This is a revision made after 2017, a year in which headlights weren't factored in for this specific award. This is also why why some vehicles, such as the Ford F-150, might have had the award last year, but have lost it for this year. We reached out to someone at IIHS to find out. He responded with the following car models. Depending on how you count, a whopping 40 models crash well enough to receive the rating, but don't get it because their headlights are either "Poor" or "Marginal." We say depending on how you count because the IIHS actual counts truck body styles differently, and the Infiniti Q70 is a special case. Apparently the version of the Q70 that has good headlights doesn't have adequate forward collision prevention technology. And the one that has good forward collision tech doesn't have good enough headlights. We've provided the entire list of vehicles below in alphabetical order. Interestingly, it seems the Volkswagen Group is having the most difficulty providing good headlights with its otherwise safe cars. It had the most models on the list at 9 split between Audi and Volkswagen. GM is next in line with 7 models. It is worth noting again that though these vehicles have subpar headlights and don't quite earn Top Safety Pick awards, that doesn't mean they're unsafe. They all score well enough in crash testing and forward collision prevention that they would get the coveted award if the lights were better.