Toyota Prius' safety rating falls
Toyota鈥檚 iconic hybrid, the Prius, has held quite a reputation for safety, as well as for efficiency and technology, of course. Yet new results from the federal government show that it鈥檚 been downgraded from five stars to four stars in聽聽Assessment Program (NCAP) safety ratings.
滨苍听, conducted last month on a 2014 model, the聽聽earned just a four-star rating in the frontal barrier test. That was enough to keep its frontal score at four stars鈥攖he same as before鈥攂ut nudge its Overall rating down to four stars in the frontal category.
罢丑别听, applied to the 2013 Prius, had been of a 2011 model, in February 2011.
The federal frontal test uses an average-sized adult dummy, with the聽聽run at 35 mph into a fixed barrier. And the star rating is based on force measurements (and injury likelihood) at the head, neck, chest, and legs.
However, the Prius remains a top five-star performer for all federal side tests, including the side barrier test (for driver and passenger) and the side pole test, which simulates a side collision with a narrow, fixed object like a utility pole or tree.
In our聽, we do note that this model includes seven standard airbags鈥攊ncluding a driver鈥檚 knee bag鈥攁nd it achieves the new聽聽Top Safety Pick+ accolade.
Of course, it鈥檚 also worth taking this all into perspective, and noting that the Prius was last redesigned for 2010, with its occupant protection remaining competitive鈥攁nd close to top-notch鈥攆ive years later.
