2014 Chevy Malibu Joins Top Safety Pick+ Club

Although the new criteria for Top Safety Pick+ recognition from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have proven significantly more challenging than in the past, the 2014 Chevy Malibu met that challenge recently with "Good" scores—the highest offered—in all five of the IIHS tests for occupant protection, then also offering a "Basic" level of frontal-crash warning technology. Just note that that latter tech isn't standard on the 2014 Chevy Malibu; it's part of an optional advanced safety package that bundles GM's Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

On the other hand, the robust frame of the 2014 Chevy Malibu is the same throughout the lineup, and that's a key enabler of the vehicle's performance in the IIHS tests for small and moderate front-overlap impacts, roof strength, side-impact collisions, and head restraint/seat performance. And remember, the 2014 Chevy Malibu also earned a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with 5 stars for frontal- and side-crash protection and a 4-star grade in rollover protection; further, the Malibu's forward-collision and lane-departure systems are both on the Recommended Technology roster from NHTSA.

Said Gay Kent, general director of General Motors Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness: “We are very pleased that the IIHS has recognized the safety of the Malibu with this prestigious rating. Customer safety is our guiding compass; this serves as a testament to that.”

Now also makes for a good time to check the full Top Safety Pick+ honor roll for the mid-size sedan segment, since it's a notably family-friendly category that puts a particularly sharp focus on safety—although, to be sure, some surprising names didn't make the cut. In fact, beyond the 2014 Chevy Malibu, the only Top Safety Pick+ entries from the traditional mid-size sedan were the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Mazda Mazda6 and Subaru Legacy.