The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has a new crash test, and the 2018 Cadillac XT5 walked away an inaugural winner tied with Subaru. The new test, dubbed the rear-crash prevention rating system, measures how well automatic rear braking systems work.
Six brands offer the feature: Cadillac, Subaru, BMW, Infiniti, Jeep and Toyota. The IIHS then chose the most popular model from the brand for the test. From there, the safety body set three ranking standards of “Superior,” “Advanced,” and “Basic.” The XT5 and Subaru Outback both earned “Superior” ratings.
The test encompasses eight scenarios to shake down the systems, which include backing up towards the rear of another car, and reversing while turning left, right and keeping a straight line. Another test involves backing into a parking space toward the side of a misaligned vehicle.
To earn the superior rating, the car must be able to prevent a crash at 4 mph, or barely hit the car while slowing to 1 mph.
The IIHS also highlighted just how costly a minimal impact crash can be. Without the auto-brake feature, the same XT5 endured $3,477 in damage after backing into a poll at the low reverse speeds.
Ratings will eventually cover more makes and models, but for now, the IIHS will use these first six brands and the most popular models from each to help consumers gauge effectiveness.
Comment
It’s test results like this that should be highlighted in some form in a commercial . With all the safety features on this car it would be ” almost ” impossible to hit anything . Whether it’s the warning lights on the dash or the reverse camera squaking at you or the safety seat going on what else do you need especially if the car will stop itself to avoid a frontal crash or the sensors for parking .
Gone are the days of chrome plated bumpers that really did their job and cost less than these molded plastic covers that cost a small fortune to replace .