IIHS Adds Fourth Test Category: Roof Strength

Tiny as they are, Smart Fortwos perform quite well in IIHS crash tests thanks to its built in safety cage.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an association of auto insurance companies who track how well vehicles perform in a crash. These tests go far in helping member companies decide how much to charge customers, which means automakers know that a low score could result in higher insurance premiums. High premiums can keep shoppers away from purchasing a particular model, thus the importance of performing well.

Thousands Killed Annually In Rollovers

Up until recently the IIHS tested cars for front, side and rear impact, but they didn’t test these cars for roof impact which happens as a result of vehicle roll overs. Roof strength is critical because if your roof collapses, you and your passengers could be seriously injured or killed. About 10,000 people are killed annually due to rollovers, which is about one-fourth of all vehicle deaths in the US.

To roll out its new test, the IIHS decided to test the smallest cars on the road – a group of micro and mini-cars that may soon become dominate on our roads especially if gas prices begin to surge once again. The Smart Fortwo, Chevy Aveo, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and Hyundai Accent were each tested with some surprising results – the Fortwo’s roof was the strongest while the Aveo was the weakest, the latter model given a “marginal” rating by the IIHS.

Smart Fortwo Cage

IIHS research has shown that car roofs have gotten strong lately, which is good news for consumers. In the case of the Smart Fortwo, which is enveloped in a safety cage, roof strength is superior to most cars on the road.

“We anticipate that our roof strength test will drive improved rollover crash protection the same way our frontal offset and side tests have led to better occupant protection in these kinds of crashes,” says Institute president Adrian Lund. “Small cars should have an easier time with the roof strength test,” Lund explains. “Their light weight means their roofs don’t have to work as hard to keep the structure around the occupants intact in a rollover.”

More Tests Soon

Likely, we’ll hear some pretty bad news as the IIHS test expands to incorporate more body styles with SUVs expected to perform poorly. Minivans, crossovers and any other larger vehicle will probably have a difficult time getting a score above acceptable with perhaps marginal being the common score among some segments.

Source: IIHS

See Also — IIHS Recognizes Ford Safety Among This Year’s Top Picks

Smart ForTwo Sales Finally Slow Down

Introduced to the US market in January 2008, the tiny Smart Fortwo has been a huge hit. Recently, orphaned cars have begun to pile up at car dealerships as potential buyers decide to keep their refundable $99 deposit money.

Introduced in January 2008, Daimler’s Smart Fortwo was an instant hit, nicely timed as high gas prices climbed upward. By last summer, Fortwo’s were zipping off of dealer lots as four dollar gasoline prices encouraged consumers to embrace the diminutive two seat models which are powered by a 1.0L three cylinder engine.

Lately, sales of the Fortwo have dropped with an increasing number of orphan cars stacking up at Smart dealerships across the country. Smart’s unique way of selling cars is chiefly done through the internet where customers put down a refundable $99 deposit to hold their car.

Orphaned Smart ForTwos Sit On Dealer Lots

When customers decide against purchasing an available Fortwo, the cars are effectively “orphaned” and made available to the next waiting customer. That person can choose to buy that model or wait for one to appear to their liking.

Right now Smart says that they have a 28 day backlog of Smarts, double what they had last summer. Still, the Smart Fortwo is one of the fastest selling cars on the market, selling much faster the industry average of 95 days.

Not In The Buying Mood

The drop in demand for the Fortwo isn’t coming as a surprise to most analysts. With gas prices now less than half of what they were last summer and the economy in the tank, few consumers are in the mood to buy. That may all change if a congressional car scrap program gains passage and/or gas prices begin to climb once again.

Worldwide sales for Smart rose by 39% in 2008 and the car is now available in 41 countries. Parent Daimler is also developing an electric version of the car, testing prototype models in London, Berlin and Italy. Those cars are powered by a lithium-ion battery. Full scale production has yet to be announced.

Sources: USA Today and Daimler AG

Also read: Brilliance Quality Is Still Lacking