2012 Volvo S60 earns perfect NHTSA scores; two SUVs earn low crash-test ratings
The 2012 Volvo S60 has become the second vehicle to earn perfect scores in each evaluation in NHTSA crash testing, according to newly posted safety ratings on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website.
The S60, an entry-luxury sedan, earned five stars for protection of the driver and front passenger in a 35-mph frontal crash test, for protection of the driver and rear passenger in a 38.5-mph side-impact crash test, and for protecting the driver in a 20-mph side-impact test that simulates sliding into a pole or tree.
Of 73 individual 2012-model cars NHTSA has crash-tested -- not counting instances where the same test applies to multiple vehicles -- 21 have earned an overall rating of five out of five stars, but only the Chevrolet Camaro has also earned perfect scores in every sub-section.
NHTSA's test procedures became more difficult starting with the 2011 model year after too many cars aced its previous tests. The crash tests complement safety evaluations from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which evaluates similar but not identical crash scenarios.
In other newly posted scores, two compact SUVs earned a low overall score of three out of five scores: the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe, whose results were posted today; and the 2012 Jeep Liberty, whose rating appeared last week. The Santa Fe earned low scores for side-impact protection of the rear passenger; the Liberty was marked down for the frontal-impact test and performance in the pole side-impact test.
Just six of the 73 2012-model cars NHTSA has tested have earned a score of three stars, but four of those -- including the Santa Fe and Liberty -- are slated to be redesigned or discontinued soon. Another of the three is also a compact SUV: the Ford Escape, whose 2013-model redesign is due this spring. (Several 2011 models also earned two- or three-star ratings but have since been updated or discontinued.)
Most cars that have been tested earn a rating of four out of five stars overall, and NHTSA recently posted two such scores. The 2012 Honda Fit subcompact hatchback, tested for the first time, earned four stars; the updated 2012 Subaru Outback wagon earned slightly higher scores than a tested 2011 model but was still four stars overall.
See a full listing of cars' NHTSA scores on this ScribD page, or visit safercar.gov for more information.
