3 midsize SUVs get top safety ratings
ARLINGTON, Va. (WLS) -- Three 2015 midsize SUVs performed well in front-end crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Nissan Murano earned a good rating and, with a superior-rated optional front crash prevention system, earned the institute's most coveted "Top Safety Pick Plus."
WATCh: Raw midsize SUV crash test footage
The Ford Flex got the second-best "acceptable" rating and earned a "Top Safety Pick" designation - falling short of the "plus" because it doesn't have automatic braking.
The Jeep Wrangler, made by Fiat Chrysler, didn't win a "Top Safety Pick" because it offered only "marginal" side and rear crash protection, according to the institute, however it did get a good ranking for overall and structure.
The Dodge Durango, Jeep Cherokee and Hyundai Santa Fe got "marginal" ratings, and the Dodge Journey received a "poor" rating on the test, in which 25 percent of a vehicle's front end strikes a barrier at 40 mph.
The test mimicked what happens when a car's front corner crashes into something like a utility pole. The test, instituted in 2012, is more demanding than the U.S. government's head-on frontal crash test.
To earn the top rating, vehicles must get "good" ratings in four crash tests, "good" or "acceptable" in the overlap test, and they must have available a front crash prevention system that can brake the vehicle.
Of the seven SUVs tested in this round, the Fiat Chrysler's Dodge Journey was the worst performer. The passenger compartment failed to hold up in a crash, the parking brake pedal tore through the crash dummy's left lower leg, and the side air bag failed to inflate, the institute said.
In a test of the 2014 model year cars, the Toyota Highlander earned a "Top Safety Pick Plus" rating, while the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Kia Sorento and Nissan Pathfinder got "Top Safety Pick" designations.
For more information about the report, visit the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety website.
The Associated Press contributed to this article. All rights reserved.
