DETROIT, Sept 27 (Reuters) – Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo
and Subaru earned the highest marks in a new front crash
avoidance test program developed for the U.S. insurance
industry.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a non-profit
group funded by the insurance industry, rated 2013-2014 vehicles
on how well their advanced-technology features help drivers
avoid collisions.
IIHS focused on two systems, front collision warning and
automatic brakes, which are typically offered as extra-cost
options on an increasing number of new cars.
The group tested 74 “moderately priced” and luxury midsize
cars and crossovers. IIHS awarded a “superior” rating to seven:
General Motors Co’s Cadillac ATS sedan and Cadillac SRX
crossover; Geely Holding Group Co’s Volvo S60 sedan
and Volvo XC60 crossover; Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd’s
Subaru Legacy sedan and Subaru Outback wagon, and Daimler AG’s
Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan.
The top rating is given to vehicles equipped with automatic
brakes that can substantially slow down a vehicle or help it
avoid a crash in tests at 12 and 25 miles per hour, IIHS said.
Automatic brakes can reduce vehicle speed or, in some cases,
completely stop a car without driver intervention. They are
marketed under a variety of names by different manufacturers.
Volvo’s automatic braking system, called City Safety, is the
only such system offered as standard on the vehicles tested by
IIHS. The S60 and XC60 also can be ordered with an optional
safety system called Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and
Pedestrian Detection.
Subaru’s automatic brake system, which includes a pair of
small cameras to monitor traffic, is called EyeSight and is an
option on the Legacy and Outback. Cadillac’s Automatic Collision
Preparation, another auto-brake system, is an option on the ATS
and SRX.
IIHS also tests and rates new vehicles in side, rear,
rollover and front-end crashes.
