Entire Acura Lineup Receives Top Ratings from NHTSA, IIHS
To most consumers, Volvo may be synonymous with vehicle safety, but Acura recently set an historic precedent that the Swedish automaker, or any other automaker for that matter, has never accomplished. All five of Acura's 2009 model vehicles have attained the highest safety ratings from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Both vehicle safety agencies rated Acura's vehicles for front-, side- and rear-impact protection and gave all models the top possible ratings. These latest safety results should help Honda's luxury nameplate gain significant recognition as not only a leader in vehicle luxury and performance, but also as a top safety leader in the industry.Helping Acura accomplish this historic feat of safety, the company's entire lineup has been completely redesigned since the 2007 model year. One of Acura's biggest advantages in producing such safe vehicles is the use of two advanced crash test facilities in Japan and the United States. For Acura vehicles developed for the U.S. market, the company uses its Automotive Safety Research Facility in Raymond, Ohio to fine tune safety designs and perform crash tests in a controlled environment that houses one of the most advanced impact barriers in the world. While the testing performed by the IIHS and NHTSA is all that really counts, Acura's internal safety tests have helped it create one of the safest vehicles lineups in automotive history.
Both agencies use differing tests to determine its vehicle ratings, but have obviously came to the same conclusion about Acura's current lineup. While the NHTSA crashes vehicles into a flat surface, the IIHS uses a more realistic off-set crash barrier to simulate a vehicle colliding with oncoming traffic. The IIHS goes one step beyond the NHTSA and rates vehicles for rear crash protection as well. The test measures the safety of a car's seat in the event of a rear-end collision. Every year, the IIHS releases a list of Top Safety Picks to signify which cars have scored high in all categories of occupant protection and its 2009 Top Safety Picks include all five current Acura vehicles. Next year, the IIHS will include roof safety as a requirement to attain the Top Safety Pick.
Helping to ensure that all of its vehicles are top safety performers, all 2009 Acura models come with a long list of standard safety devices to keep its occupants safe including six airbags, vehicle stability assist and active head restraints. While the crash ratings really only test a car's overall design and integrity in the event of an accident, Acura also offers additional safety features to help the driver avoid an accident in the first place including tire pressure monitoring system and daytime running lights for improved visibility to other drivers.
For the 2009 model year, all three of Acura's sedans have received the highest ratings for crash safety from both agencies including a five-star rating for rollover avoidance from the NHTSA. While Acura's new design language has been criticized since it debuted, Acura's new standard for safety is undeniable. The newest addition to the Acura lineup is the 2009 Acura TL which has already been announced as a 2009 IIHS Top Safety Pick, but when the NHTSA gave it a full compliment of five-star ratings, it sealed Acura's historic position for safety. Acura has even managed to create two of the safest crossovers on the road as well. Although both crossovers received four-star ratings for rollover avoidance, both the Acura MDX and Acura RDX offer Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive as standard equipment which has helped improve stability and performance. According to the NHTSA, the seven-passenger MDX and five-passenger RDX have some of the lowest chances of rolling over compared to all sport utility vehicles (no SUV on the market has received better than a four-star rollover rating).
Not wanting to rest on its laurels, Acura will also be adding an all-new model to its already stellar lineup. Next week at the 2009 New York International Auto Show, Acura will introduce the all-new 2010 Acura ZDX crossover. The 2010 ZDX is a stylish four-door crossover with a sleek, coupe-like roofline to compete against the BMW X6.