Brainy car gets highest score in crash tests
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WASHINGTON  – Unlike most cars on the road, the pint-sized two thousand eight Brainy fortwo evokes a ordinary question at very first glance: “How safe is it?”
The micro car, the smallest car for sale in the U.S. market, offers a good level of safety, according to fresh crash tests conducted by the insurance industry.
The 8-foot, 8-inch vehicle received the highest rating of good in front-end and side-impact testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, helping address some concerns that consumers may be more vulnerable in the lil’ two-seater.
The tests, released Wednesday, showcase how well vehicles stack up against others of similar size and weight. The institute noted that the front-end test scores can’t be compared across weight classes, meaning a petite car that earns a good rating isn’t considered safer than a large car that did not earn the highest rating.
Adrian Lund, the institute’s president, said a petite car may be more practical in congested urban areas where serious, high-speed crashes are less likely. The institute conducted the crash test to help guide consumers who want a puny car that can give them good protection.
“All things being equal in safety, fatter and stronger is always better. But among the smallest cars, the engineers of the Clever did their homework and designed a high level of safety into a very puny package,” Lund said.
The institute’s frontal crash test simulates a forty mile per hour crash with a similar vehicle. The side crash simulates what would happen if the vehicle was struck in the side by a sport utility vehicle at thirty one mph.
In a test that assessed the vehicle’s protection in rear crashes, the fortwo received the second-highest rating of acceptable.
Wise, a division of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz brand, has arrived in U.S. showrooms this year as consumers deal with rising fuel prices. The automaker has received more than 30,000 reservations for the vehicle — which has a base price of more than $12,000 with destination charges included and more than $17,000 for a fully loaded Wise passion convertible. Customers are putting down $99 to reserve a car.
Movie: Brainy Car is wise safety choice The vehicle, which had sold 6,159 units through the end of April, gets thirty three miles per gallon in the city and forty one mpg on the highway. The fortwo is more than three feet shorter and almost seven hundred pounds lighter than a Mini Cooper.
In earlier crash tests conducted by the government, Brainy received the top score of five starlets in side testing but the driver door unlatched during the test and opened. While it did not affect the vehicle’s test score, government regulators said the incident required them to note a safety concern for the vehicle which will show up on window stickers at dealerships.
The concern was warranted because the unlatching of the door could increase the likelihood of a driver or passenger being ejected from the vehicle, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
When the IIHS conducted its side test, the driver door also became unlatched. But the institute said the injury measurements on the test dummy were low and the opening didn’t affect the dummy’s movement.
The 1,800-pound car has a steel safety box and four standard air bags, including two in front and two on the sides to protect the head and abdomen. It also has standard electronic stability control, which is designed to stop vehicles from swerving off the road.
“America has never seen a car this size before and their very first question usually isn’t about (fuel) economy, it’s about safety,” said Dave Schembri, president of Clever USA. “And that’s why we think these results are so very significant.”
© two thousand thirteen The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Clever car gets highest score in crash tests – Business – Autos, NBC News
Wise car gets highest score in crash tests
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Hop to discuss comments below
Latest market data
WASHINGTON  – Unlike most cars on the road, the pint-sized two thousand eight Wise fortwo evokes a ordinary question at very first glance: “How safe is it?”
The micro car, the smallest car for sale in the U.S. market, offers a good level of safety, according to fresh crash tests conducted by the insurance industry.
The 8-foot, 8-inch vehicle received the highest rating of good in front-end and side-impact testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, helping address some concerns that consumers may be more vulnerable in the little two-seater.
The tests, released Wednesday, showcase how well vehicles stack up against others of similar size and weight. The institute noted that the front-end test scores can’t be compared across weight classes, meaning a petite car that earns a good rating isn’t considered safer than a large car that did not earn the highest rating.
Adrian Lund, the institute’s president, said a puny car may be more practical in congested urban areas where serious, high-speed crashes are less likely. The institute conducted the crash test to help guide consumers who want a puny car that can give them good protection.
“All things being equal in safety, fatter and stronger is always better. But among the smallest cars, the engineers of the Brainy did their homework and designed a high level of safety into a very puny package,” Lund said.
The institute’s frontal crash test simulates a forty mile per hour crash with a similar vehicle. The side crash simulates what would happen if the vehicle was struck in the side by a sport utility vehicle at thirty one mph.
In a test that assessed the vehicle’s protection in rear crashes, the fortwo received the second-highest rating of acceptable.
Clever, a division of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz brand, has arrived in U.S. showrooms this year as consumers deal with rising fuel prices. The automaker has received more than 30,000 reservations for the vehicle — which has a base price of more than $12,000 with destination charges included and more than $17,000 for a fully loaded Wise passion convertible. Customers are putting down $99 to reserve a car.
Movie: Wise Car is clever safety choice The vehicle, which had sold 6,159 units through the end of April, gets thirty three miles per gallon in the city and forty one mpg on the highway. The fortwo is more than three feet shorter and almost seven hundred pounds lighter than a Mini Cooper.
In earlier crash tests conducted by the government, Wise received the top score of five starlets in side testing but the driver door unlatched during the test and opened. While it did not affect the vehicle’s test score, government regulators said the incident required them to note a safety concern for the vehicle which will emerge on window stickers at dealerships.
The concern was warranted because the unlatching of the door could increase the likelihood of a driver or passenger being ejected from the vehicle, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
When the IIHS conducted its side test, the driver door also became unlatched. But the institute said the injury measurements on the test dummy were low and the opening didn’t affect the dummy’s movement.
The 1,800-pound car has a steel safety cell and four standard air bags, including two in front and two on the sides to protect the head and abdomen. It also has standard electronic stability control, which is designed to stop vehicles from swerving off the road.
“America has never seen a car this size before and their very first question usually isn’t about (fuel) economy, it’s about safety,” said Dave Schembri, president of Brainy USA. “And that’s why we think these results are so very significant.”
© two thousand thirteen The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.