2014 Chevy Volt Earns Top Safety Pick+ Honor

2014 Chevy Volt Earns Top Safety Pick+ Honor ・ Photo by Chevrolet

The 2014 Chevy Volt continues to push ahead as a strong choice for alternative-powertrain vehicles, recently earning a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). And while a growing number of vehicles have been able to achieve that recognition in recent months, the 2014 Chevy Volt was only one—out of 12 tested—to do so in the latest round of evaluations.

Said Joe Nolan, senior vice president for vehicle research for the Institute: “The Volt’s crashworthiness performance puts it in the top tier for small car safety. GM should be commended for the Volt’s performance in the small overlap front test because this car was designed before that challenging test was introduced.”

The 2014 Chevy Volt received an "acceptable" rating in that evaluation, designed to measure occupant safety when a vehicle runs into a narrow object, like a utility pole, with the impact coming off to the side, where a car's bumpers and crumple zones may not offer full protection. True, "acceptable" may not sound that impressive, but it is better than discovering that a "structure seriously compromised the driver's survival space" during the test, as was the case with another recent IIHS TSP candidate.

Further, the 2014 Chevy Volt received "good" scores in the other IIHS examinations for moderate front-overlap impacts, side impacts, roof strength, and safety performance of head restraints and seats.

Now, just to be clear here, the full Top Safety Pick+ distinction also requires a vehicle to offer some form of frontal collision technology. For the 2014 Chevy Volt, that means the available Forward Collision Alert system, which complements other safety offerings such as a rearview camera, lane-departure warning, front and rear park-assist technologies, and eight standard airbags.

On the odd chance readers don't remember, the 2014 Chevy Volt is priced from $34,185, but also is eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit that can reduce the net purchase price to $26,685. Then, Volt drivers enjoy an all-electric driving range of 38 miles on a single charge, complemented by an onboard, gas-powered engine that can extend total range to 380 miles.

Added Jeff Boyer, vice president of GM Global Vehicle Safety: “These outstanding results demonstrate our commitment to the highest levels of safety performance in our vehicles. Achieving the IIHS Top Safety Pick + is a key endorsement which is valued by our customers.”