The Chevy Malibu failed a recent nighttime evaluation of its optional Automatic Emergency Braking system conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
This new IIHS test was formulated by the industry safety watchdog to address the “high percentage of pedestrian crashes that occur on dark roads,” currently and saw the organization evaluate 23 different midsize car, midsize SUV and small pickup models. Of these vehicles, four received a “no credit,” rating, indicating the AEB system did not perform well enough in dark conditions to earn any recognition from the IIHS. Included in this lot was the 2022 Chevy Malibu, 2022 Honda Pilot, 2022 Nissan Altima and 2022 Toyota Tacoma. It’s also worth noting the Malibu offers AEB as an optional extra, whereas this feature is standard on the Pilot, Altima and Tacoma. In fact, the Malibu was the only evaluated vehicle that lacked standard AEB.
The IIHS says its nighttime evaluation included two common pedestrian crash scenarios: an adult crossing the road and an adult walking along the road at the edge of the travel lane. The crossing test was conducted at speeds of 12 mph and 25 mph, while the parallel test was conducted at 25 and 37 mph. Scores were awarded based on the average speed reductions in five repeated test runs on dry pavement, with separate tests conducted for the high and low beam headlamp settings.
David Aylor, vice president of active safety at IIHS, said eight of the 12 vehicles that earned a basic rating or no credit in this test received superior or advanced ratings in an equivalent daylight evaluation. This is evidence automakers need to work harder to ensure their AEB systems work just as well at night as they do during the day, the IIHS says. Pedestrian crash deaths have soared nearly 80 percent since their low point in 2009, according to the organization, with a total of 7,300 pedestrians killed in 2021. Three-quarters of those fatalities occurred at night.
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Comments
They need to cancel the Malibu already. It does little to help their public perception in quality and safety.
It really doesn’t matter anymore. It’s practically canceled anyway.
It’s not the car. It’s the management not giving a sh!t about the bu.
They aren’t willing to invest in a dying segment that doesn’t make them any money.
That’s actually a reasonable way to invest.
If they could build this type of vehicle in China for $10k less and import it, then it might work out.
Or maybe we’ll get something from Mexico eventually to replace it.
“It’s also worth noting the Malibu offers AEB as an optional extra, whereas this feature is standard on the Pilot, Altima and Tacoma.”
That’s on the 2022 models, it’s standard on the 2023 as a result of the NHTSA mandate. In fact, today is the last day they can build a light duty vehicle without it; the requirement kicks in Sept 1.
Sam they obviously didn’t test a 2023 Malibu… Which is unfair if it comes standard with AEB in 2023 but not 2022 I say compare apples to apples this biased type of thinking had got to stop the Japanese don’t really build great cars like they did back in the 80s and 90s the American cars and even Korean cars have caught up in quality. This looks and reads like a Consumer reports article… In other words it’s a joke!
WILL THERE BE AN ELECTRIC CAMARO? WHEN?
Carl on country roads you probably don’t need AEB… but now I am curious 🤨 to see if you would detect poles and mailboxs.
Hmm, I’d think a country road would be the best place for it, since I’m generally more likely to hit a deer than anything else.
My actual experience with AEB is that it really doesn’t like cars that cut in front of you in traffic.
I wonder how that parallel system would work on the county roads around here where many of the utility poles and mailboxes are within two feet of the edge of the pavement.