IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards Given To 2015 Buick Encore, Chevrolet Trax: Video
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In 2013, the Buick Encore enjoyed an IIHS “Top Safety Pick” designation. However, in 2014, the Encore lost the accolade due to more stringent testing. For that reason: the 2014 Encore scored poorly in the new small front overlap crash test.
Now, with the launch of the 2015 Chevrolet Trax, General Motors has fixed the issue, and the crash test ratings for the 2015 Encore and 2015 Trax both earned Top Safety Pick status.
The original crashworthiness evaluation for the 2013 and 2014 model-year Buick Encore crossovers revealed a few rather serious design faults. For one, the driver’s space “wasn’t maintained well,” according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and the front airbags were not as effective as they should have been. There was also an issue with the dashboard, namely that it shifted towards the driver in the small front overlap crash test, providing plenty of potential for knee and thigh injuries.
For the 2015 model year, however, the Encore and Trax have recieved numerous improvements to the airbags, dashboard structure, and frontal reinforcements to help make the small, affordable crossovers fare better in a crash. The changes have had a substantial effect so far, with both models now earning Top Safety Pick ratings, thanks to better small front overlap test results (both have qualified for “good” evaluations).
The small crossover market has been heating up lately, and the Encore and Trax will soon be joined by rivals from Honda, Mazda, Fiat, and Jeep. We don’t know how well they’ll fare against the competition, but we do at least know that they’ll fare very well in an accident.
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As small as the Gamma2’s are, I still have difficulty looking at that 10% offset test and accepting that platform passed the test.
But it did, remarkably so. I even watched the video at 0.25 speed and looked for that oh-so critically important place between the front wheels and the leading edge of the front doors. Yes, it deformed and got mangled badly as expected, but that A-pillar remained largely intact, and the sheered off wheel after cushioning the impact was pushed out and away from the car, rather than up and into the foot well of the driver.
Right on man. Incredible as it seems nothing much moved past that door pillar. This is one tough SUV Good job GM. (it looks like the tire and stuff gets deflected outside of the passenger cage and footwell).
… they would fare well in THIS type of an accident. Accidents involving other vehicles – the bigger vehicle “wins”. There are many cars and trucks bigger than his pocket size “SUV”. Take for example the 1997 – 2004 F150 which spectacularly self destructed in the simpler moderate offset test, and ended up with a “poor” rating. Still, a head on between that F 150 and the Trax would not end for the occupants of the Trax. Some people don’t know this.
“Still, a head on between that F 150 and the Trax would not end for the occupants of the Trax. Some people don’t know this.”
Some people don’t even any evidence to support their baseless claims.
The laws of physics don’t even apply here?? 6000 lbs vs 3000 lbs, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist.
Okay for you dimwits I will say it also applies to, say a 2000 Silverado. Silverado vs Trax, Silverado wins even though it did marginally in IIHS crash tests.
Crashing into a non moving wall equals crashing with a same size vehicle, not a bigger vehicle. In the real world sometimes there crashes involving other vehicles. You are better off in the bigger one.
Of course the laws of physics apply here. What doesn’t apply is baseless claims made without a single shred of evidence to support them. That would need evidence from an outside, scientific source other than yourself.
Provide evidence to support your claim, or shut your sasshole. 😀
Laws of physic only play into this to a point. Good engineering can altar the limits of the physics.
Case in point my 1985 Fiero hit a Dodge van in the side at 45 MPH when the driver pulled out in front of me 25 years ago.
While the van was twice the weight of my car and I hit hard enough I bent the steering wheel past the turn signal. The space frame of the car took the hit and protected me. It tore up the plastic panels but it did not even break the radiator. I bent the wheel back up and drove it home. The van he had a hell of a time getting it back into the drive with a bent up front suspension.
I had hit so hard it even shorted the plates in the battery and it would no longer hold a charge.
Today the car is still on the road and is a national winner at Pontiac car shows.
It is like that video of a 09 Malibu and a 59 Impala hitting head on. the Malibu held up fine as it passed through the Impala driver and went to the back seat. The Impala was a much larger car with a dead driver but the Bu test dummy was the one that has little to no injury.
There are limits as a Semi is going to kill you in about anything this side of an Abrams but that is common sense that as we can see in our one friend here is not so common.
Hell anymore the G forces will kill you more than anything else.