Toyota Motor Corp's Camry, the best-selling mid-size car in the U.S., and the Prius V hybrid earned the lowest ratings in a new crash test simulating a severe front-end collision, an insurance group found.

The two Toyotas received the only “poor” scores on an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety test intended to evaluate a crash in which the front corner of a vehicle collides with another car, a tree or a pole. It is more stringent than the U.S. government’s test, which simulates a collision in which two vehicles or objects meet head on.

Toyota engineers have a lot of work to do to match the performance of their competitors,” Adrian Lund, the insurance group’s president, said in a statement.

The insurance-industry funded group, based in Arlington, Virginia, said it introduced its so-called small-overlap test this year because that type of accident accounts for almost a fourth of frontal crashes that seriously injure or kill people in front seats.

“With this new test, the institute has raised the bar again and we will respond to the challenge,” Brian Lyons, a Toyota spokesman, said in an e-mail. “We are evaluating the new test protocols and can say that there will not be one single solution to achieve greater crash performance in this area.”

Test results showed mid-size cars such as Honda Motor Co.’s Accord and Suzuki Motor Corp.’s Kizashi that had “good” ratings performed better than most comparable luxury models.
The insurance group released scores for mid-size luxury cars in August, finding most of the 11 models scored “marginal” or “poor” in the new test.

For full article, click here http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-20/t...crash-test.html

If US also like that, Those Camry / Prius in Malaysia i really no eye see

This post has been edited by Myoswee: Dec 20 2012, 03:17 PM

yup....still sell like hot cake here
even crash test have zero star

where is mazda?? or grouped as ford already

IIHS small-overlap crash test, Volvo S60 rated "GOOD".
Toyota, you are big liar!

This post has been edited by Bubble Ring: Dec 20 2012, 04:41 PM

Malaysian Camry will never get into a crash so no need for VSC. So those crash results don't apply to Camry.

alot of people been missing the fact that its written there that the TWO toyotas were rated VERY GOOD in the earlier IIHS tests. not at all supporting the brand, but with all people screaming fair, then it shudnt be hide the fact the TWO toyotas were at TOP of the tests by the same institute

The test differs every year i think. And it gets tougher. But it is true that there is no engineering that could cover all aspects without making the car affordable. If it was so durable that u are cocooned even from a bomb blast, then they will never need to make a new car again.

Honda Accord


Suzuki Kizashi


Toyota Camry


My personal favourite, Toyota Prius V


Cili sos

This post has been edited by dares: Dec 20 2012, 09:19 PM

wow. The Suzuki looks best. The area where the driver sits is in a remarkably good shape. Honestly I'm surprised.

Oh, and keep in mind that this is the US spec Camry. Not the ASEAN spec. The ASEAN spec would have performed worse than this.

This post has been edited by kadajawi: Dec 20 2012, 10:32 PM

Nice sharing!
GOA body structure, lame and marketing gimmick from Toyota.

no offense, but looks like the "tyre displacement" after the crash determine the quality of crash test...

both toyota's tyre were protruded into the cabin.

it's more of cabin intrusion.. can be tire or other metal bits going in to cabin to maim the human..

Wow, look like the Prius is worst, the driver probably will die if really involve in such accident!

Prius V. They didn't test any of the Priuses on our roads.

Btw., EuroNCAP retested the Toyota Aygo, and it did... well, not very good.

"The current model of Aygo and its twins lack basic items such as side impact airbags and electronic stability control as standard equipment. In response to Euro NCAP�s tests, Toyota has made a commitment to make the following items standard by July 2013 in all European countries:

� side thorax airbag
� side head curtain airbag
� electronic stability control
� passenger seatbelt reminder
� ISOFIX and top-tether in rear outboard seats"
http://www.euroncap.com/Content-Web-Articl...point-in-s.aspx

It achieved a 3 star rating, but that includes these additions. Without it would probably have been much worse. But there you see it: The rating is so important in these countries that not by legislation but by a bad test result they immediately try to make the car safer, add features etc. That is the strength of the consumer, they know with a 1 or 2 star rating no one would buy an Aygo anymore. Even 3 stars is a tough sell.

Btw. what strikes me is that the Volvo in the video scratches along the obstruction and then just drives on... more or less. It sheds of a bit of metal, but the car seems to be slightly redirected, so that it can move on. In the Audi for example a harder part of the car seems to be hit, the car hooks onto that and stops much more abruptly. Then the direction of the car is totally changed and the car is turned by 90°. Not sure if that was just lucky for Volvo or if they intentionally designed the car so that non-frontal colisions are averted this way (which seems to be the smart thing to do).

Same with the Camry, as you can see here:

The car just hooks onto the block, and then even worse (probably due to the rotation) the driver headbutts right past the airbags into the dashboard.


The Suzuki did similar to the Volvo as you can see, it manages to push itself past the obstruction. It still slows down, but by far not as much as for example the Camry does.

This post has been edited by kadajawi: Dec 21 2012, 05:52 PM

oh no....camry owners hiding...all those that say camry > K5....well...think again

The Kizashi kept the tyre, but still managed to do well.

Suzuki had no experience in making d-segment car, Kizashi is their first product.

But the crash testing really amaze me.

but for suzuki, the tyre actually being pushed to the side (base on the video), rather than pushed straight towards the cabin like toyota did.
besides, suzuki and the volvo being pushed to the side just after the impact.

honda seems doing well.

this test may not convince me. though maybe, just for me

I think they are intentionally pushed to the side and move on. As in under what we can see there are thingstthatxan redirect the car. Like if a boat crashes into something, due to the shape it will get scratches but move to the side and continue. Those cars that perform poorly just hook on. And in the case of the Camry and Prius V it is especially bad because the steel just doesn't seem as tough.

The only thing these tests taught me is, when a head-on collision is imminent, steer your car for a full frontal impact instead of aiming for the side (small overlap)