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IIHS updates overlap test: 2 SUVs get good marks, 9 fare poorly

Vehicles in crashes keep occupants safe by deforming around the cabin in a way that maintains cabin integrity. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's moderate overlap test, introduced in 1995, has been a huge contributor to improved safety for front-row passengers in a crash. IIHS President David Harkey said, "Thanks to automakers’ improvements, drivers in most vehicles are nearly 50% less likely to be killed in a frontal crash today than they were 25 years ago." In the 'unintentional side effects' column, crash safety has gotten worse for passengers in the back seats. When carmakers reengineered the front crash structure to protect the driver, more crash forces got distributed throughout the rear. IIHS research claims rear passengers have a 46% greater risk of fatal injury than front-row passengers, but back-seaters haven't benefited from the same upgrades in safety as the front row. The IIHS updated its moderate overlap test to address the issue, putting 15 vehicles through the new regime. Two earned good ratings — the 2023 Ford Escape and the 2021-2023 Volvo XC40 — one was acceptable, three were marginal and nine were rated poor. Every one of the crossovers sampled got good marks for all passengers in the original test. That test sees 40% of vehicle's width on the driver's side impacting an aluminum honeycomb barrier at 40 miles per hour. The updated test puts a crash dummy representing small woman or 12-year-old child in the seat behind the driver, the dummy's sensors and grease paint measuring the effectiveness of the restraints and the forces a human body would need to endure. To achieve a good rating, the "measurements must not exceed limits indicating excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest, abdomen or thigh." An institute engineer said, "In real-world crashes, chest injuries are the most common serious rear-seat injuries for adults." The sensors and video evidence showed back seat dummies in the Escape and XC40 endured minimal risk of injuries from excessive crash forces, from submarining under the seat belt, or from unwanted interaction with the side curtain airbag.   The Toyota RAV4 scored acceptable. The second-row dummy also endured minimal risk of injury to the chest and lower extremities. However, the lap belt slipped upward in a way that could increase abdominal injuries, and after the dummy's head dipped during crash impact, the head came back up between the rear curtain airbag and rear window.

Wards names its 2015 10 Best Interiors list

Wards Automotive has named the winners of its 10 Best Interior awards, covering a wide but affordable array of vehicles. Where last year's list contained two six-figure vehicles, including the $372,800 Rolls-Royce Wraith, this year's is, well, a whole lot more reasonable. The publication lists the Mercedes-Benz C400 at $65,000 (which seems off), making it the most expensive vehicle here. That said, we'd argue that the entire C-Class line deserves to make this year's list, owing to its varied and high-quality selection of materials. The other vehicle to break the $60,000 mark, meanwhile, is the $60,675 Ford F-150 King Ranch, which has 327,000 pounds of leather lining its interior. Only one other German car, the BMW i3, and one other pickup truck, the GMC Canyon, managed to make this year's list. Here's the full list of this year's winners: 2014 BMW i3 ($52,550) 2015 Chrysler 300C Platinum ($51,175) 2015 Ford F-150 King Ranch ($60,675) 2015 GMC Canyon SLT ($40,465) 2015 Honda Fit EX-L ($21,590) 2015 Jeep Renegade Limited ($33,205) 2015 Kia Sedona SXL ($43,295) 2016 Mazda6 Grand Touring ($33,395) 2015 Mercedes C400 ($65,000) 2015 Nissan Murano SL ($41,905) See what we mean about the mainstream vehicles? Not only is there a distinct lack of luxury brands, it's the price of some of the vehicles that surprise. The Honda Fit, Jeep Renegade and Mazda6 are very reasonably priced, especially when you compare Wards price with the starting price. The Renegade Limited starts at less than $25,000, the Mazda at less than $22K and the Fit at under $16,000. Head over to Wards for a more detailed explanation of why each vehicle won. Featured Gallery 2015 Ward's Automotive 10 Best Interiors View 10 Photos News Source: Wards Automotive BMW Chrysler Ford GMC Honda Jeep Kia Mazda Mercedes-Benz Nissan Truck Crossover Hatchback Sedan nissan murano gmc canyon Interior jeep renegade WardsAuto kia sedona wards 10 best interiors mercedes c400

Lincoln plans electrified versions of all models by 2022, say sources

DETROIT - Ford Motor Co's premium Lincoln brand plans to offer hybrid gasoline-electric versions of all its U.S. models by 2022, according to three sources familiar with the plans. Details could be announced as early as Oct. 3, when Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett plans to update investors on the automaker's strategy. Company officials are also considering whether to introduce one or more all-electric Lincoln models, one source said. The proposed electrification scheme could be critical to Lincoln's future in China, which will require automakers to make electric vehicles an increasing percentage of their total sales. The Lincoln hybrids are part of a broader Ford program to offer at least 18 new electric and hybrid models over the next five years, the sources said. Lincoln aims to follow a path blazed this year by several European premium brands, including Daimler AG, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group's Volvo Cars, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover, all of which have announced plans to offer more hybrid and all-electric vehicles. Global luxury brands are responding to competitive pressure from Elon Musk's Tesla Inc, and proposals by the Chinese government to mandate significantly higher levels of electric vehicle sales in the world's largest auto market. The plan to offer a portfolio of Lincoln hybrid models was crafted before Hackett took over in May, the sources said. Ford said in January 2016 it would spend $4.5 billion to electrify a portion of its U.S. fleet, including hybrid versions of the Mustang and the F-150, and at least 11 other models. The extent of its electrification effort, including details on specific new and redesigned models, has not previously been disclosed. A Ford spokesman said the company would not comment on future products. As the Lincoln brand rolls out redesigned versions of its existing models and introduces at least one new model, it is planning to introduce plug-in hybrid versions of those vehicles, beginning with the redesigned MKC crossover and the new Aviator crossover in 2019, the sources said. The redesigned Lincoln Navigator utility vehicle, which goes on sale this autumn, is expected to add a conventional hybrid version in 2019. Subsequent redesigned Lincoln models, including the MKZ sedan in 2020 and the Continental sedan and MKX crossover in 2022, are expected to include plug-in hybrid variants, the sources said.