IIHS Reveals Many Midsize Crossovers And SUVs Aren't Great At Protecting Rear Occupants

This latest NHTSA test has exposed some serious shortcomings amongst many popular crossover models.

A new IIHS test has exposed that some of your favorite crossovers and SUVs might not do all that well at protecting rear occupants. The new test really isn’t all that new; it’s the traditional moderate overlap test as before, but this time the IIHS has placed a small dummy in the back seat. The dummy is about the size of a 12-year-old, or small adult woman says the IIHS. Then, it tested 13 popular midsized crossovers and SUVs.

The results weren’t all that good. The Honda Pilot (previous generation), Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Nissan Murano all scored poor for rear passenger protection. The Volkswagen Atlas, Chevy Traverse, and Toyota Highlander all scored marginal. The only good ratings came from the Ford Explorer, Subaru Ascent, Tesla Model Y, and Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Driver safety is an ever-moving target, a noble cause that every manufacturer wants to advance. Thus, testing standards continually get more stringent. A few years ago, it was the small-overlap test that focused a huge percentage of the crash energy on a minute portion of the structure.

This new test is to ensure that rear seat occupants don’t face an excessive risk of injuries. In order to get a good rating, there can’t be excessive force on the dummy, and the seatbelt and other restraints must make sure the occupant stays in place. If there’s any risk of the seatbelts not doing their job correctly, or, say, the dummy hitting the back of the front seat, then the overall score will be affected.

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