The 2009 Volkswagen Passat CC has won the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick award. “The TOP SAFETY PICK award from the IIHS is a tremendous honor for our CC,” said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc.

“We are thrilled when organizations like the IIHS recognize the hard work of our engineers who are dedicated to the safety of our customers. This award further validates Volkswagen’s Prevent and Preserve Safety System approach to vehicle safety.” To get the Top Safety Pick rating, a vehicle must score tops in front, side and rear impact results. The CC fits into the IIHS’s ‘midsize, moderately priced cars’ category for measuring purposes.

Tags: 2009, award, CC, IIHS, insurance institute for highway safety, Passat, Top Safety Pick, volkswagen

Continue reading...

Cars.com has come out with their “Best Bet” cars to help guide shoppers in making vehicle buying choices. Apparently, the final selection included three models from Subaru. The models were:

• 2009 Subaru Impreza
• Subaru Impreza WRX STI
• Subaru Forester

According to Cars.com, the two Subaru Imprezas are each a “Best Bet for Sports Cars,” and the Subaru Forester has been recognized as a “Best Bet for SUVs and Crossovers.” To qualify as a Cars.com Best Bet, models must meet three quantified criteria: a “Good” rating in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests; average or higher reliability ratings; and average or higher gas mileage within their class.

“We are proud to accept these awards from Cars.com,” said Tom Doll, COO and executive vice president of Subaru of America, Inc. “The editors who have named the Subaru Impreza and Forester ‘Best Bets’ evaluate scores of vehicles, so this recognition comes from true automotive experts. The Forester and Impreza models offer safety, reliability and performance — and are fun to drive.”

(Source) Press

Tags: impreza subaru, insurance institute for highway safety, Sports Cars, subaru forester, subaru impreza, subaru impreza wrx, subaru impreza wrx sti, subaru imprezas, subaru models, subaru of america, subaru of america inc

Continue reading...

We all know that the 2010 Ford Fusion is perhaps one of the best fuel efficient cars in the market today and after earning the Top Safety Pick from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, consumers are bound to swoon all over this efficient midsized car all the more.

Ford is the only automotive brand to offer two hybrids that have segment-leading fuel efficiency, “Top Safety Pick” awards and exclusive safety technologies. The Fusion Hybrid offers 41 mpg city while the Escape Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market and also garnered a “Top Safety Pick.”

The new Fusion Hybrid’s class-leading fuel economy bests the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city. It also features Ford’s innovative SmartGauge with EcoGuide, which coaches hybrid drivers to maximize fuel efficiency.

In addition, the new Fusion and Milan offer three fuel-sipping gas engine options, including the Duratec 2.5-liter I-4 and enhanced 3.0-liter V-6 and 3.5-liter V-6 Duratec engines. Fusions equipped with the 2.5-liter I-4 engine are expected to deliver at least 3 mpg better on the highway than the Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than the Toyota Camry. The 3.5-liter V-6 powers the all-new Fusion Sport model.

(Source) Press

Tags: best fuel efficient cars, duratec engines, engine options, escape hybrid, ford fusion, fuel economy, fuel efficiency, fuel efficient suv, honda accord, hybrids, insurance institute for highway safety, liter, mpg city, safety technologies, toyota camry, toyota camry hybrid

Continue reading...

Chalk up another feather in the cap of the all-new Subaru Forester as it was given the top rating of ‘Good’ in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s new roof strength rating system. Designed to help consumers pick vehicles that will help protect them in rollover crashes, twelve small SUVs were tested with only four receiving a ‘good’ rating.

“The all-new Subaru Forester continues to deliver the highest levels of safety as evidenced by this new IIHS test,” said Tom Doll, chief operating officer for Subaru of America, Inc. “Safety is an important part of our brand promise and we at Subaru are proud of the renowned performance of our vehicles in crash testing as well as real-life accident conditions.”

More than 10,000 people a year are killed in rollovers. When vehicles roll, their roofs hit the ground, deform, and crush. Stronger roofs crush less, reducing the risk that people will be injured by contact with the roof itself. Stronger roofs also can prevent occupants, especially those who aren’t using safety belts, from being ejected through windows, windshields, or doors that have broken or opened because the roof has deformed. Roofs that don’t collapse help keep people inside vehicles as they roll.

(Source) Press

Tags: insurance institute for highway safety, renowned performance, safety belts, Subaru, subaru forester, subaru of america, subaru of america inc, suvs, windshields

Continue reading...

The Hyundai Genesis, this year’s 2009 North America Car of the year, has placed another feather in its cap as it was chosen as the Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Hyundai’s all-new flagship earned a “good” overall evaluation in side impact, frontal offset and rear crash tests, the highest ranking awarded by the Institute.

Maintaining Hyundai’s emphasis on delivering leading safety technology, Genesis boasts world-class active and passive safety features to help both prevent accidents and maximize the wellbeing of its occupants in the event of a collision.

The Genesis continues the Hyundai tradition of standardizing key life-saving safety technology, and includes standard features like Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), eight airbags and electronic active head restraints.

(Source) Press

Tags: Accidents, airbags, car of the year, crash tests, electronic stability control, Genesis, Hyundai, insurance institute for highway safety, north america, passive safety features, rear crash, side impact

Continue reading...

After getting a failing grade by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for rear collisions, it seems that Toyota has learned its lesson and added some new preventive measures to spare Toyota 4runners from road accidents.

Since 2008, all Toyota 4Runners come equipped with side curtain airbags to help prevent head injuries. They also added front-seat-mounted side-impact airbags thus providing added protection for all 4Runner vehicles.

At least now, Toyota 4Runner owners can look forward to safer motoring since you never know when a freak accident may suddenly occur on the road.

(Source) Ask Cars

Tags: Cars, collisions, curtain, head injuries, Insurance, insurance institute for highway safety, preventive measures, road accidents, Toyota, toyota 4runner, toyota 4runners

Continue reading...