Luxury SUVs Mixed on Back-Seat Safety
IIHS testing gives good ratings to just three of eight evaluated.
The Cadillac XT6 was given a poor rating by IIHS. Just three of eight models tested earned good ratings.
IMAGE: Cadillac
A Cadillac sports-utility vehicle scored poorly in a new crash test, which the safety evaluator said shows many automakers should improve second-row restraints.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing put eight 2024-model luxury SUVs through the paces of its toughened “moderate overlap” front crash test: the Acura MDX, Audi Q5, BMW X3, Cadillac XT6, Lexus RX, Lincoln Aviator, Mercedes GLE-Class and Volvo XC60.
The nonprofit vehicle safety-review organization updated the test last year after finding that risk of fatal injuries was higher for second-row belted passengers in newer vehicles than for front-row occupants because front seats had better airbags and seat belts not usually included in the back. It says that the back seat is still safest for children because they can be injured by inflating airbags.
Its SUV testing ended with good ratings for the Lincoln, Mercedes and Volvo models, acceptable for the Acura and BMW, marginal for the Audi and Lexus, and poor for the Cadillac.
“The three good ratings in this group show that our new, tougher standards are achievable when manufacturers commit to excellence,” said IIHS President David Harkey in a press release on the test results.
A good rating means a test dummy in the second row can’t show excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest or thigh.
IIHS said all eight tested vehicles provided “excellent” front-row protection.
More Dealer Ops
Dealer Debrief: Defection Data & EV Updates
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses how to use defection data to your advantage and the latest on EV sales and charging infrastructure.
Read More →
How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap
Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Where are you losing customers?
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the hidden leaks in dealerships where you might be losing customers without even realizing it.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Improving Your Inventory Management
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence covers a new survey that shows what service technicians really want and two launches that could help improve your inventory and vehicle life cycle management.
Read More →
Ladies and Gentlemen, This Is a Dealership: Why the Fundamentals Still Decide Who Wins
A teaching moment by a legendary football coach happens to apply perfectly in the auto retail space. Learn what it is and how to use it to your store’s advantage.
Read More →
What Market Timing Mistakes Mean for Your Reinsurance Program
When volatility hits, dealer-owned reinsurance programs face a familiar temptation: pull back and wait for calmer waters. New data from BOK Financial shows why that instinct can quietly cost you years of surplus growth.
Read More →
Dealer Ads and the FTC
The agency has made it clear in recent enforcement actions and warnings, in auto retail and other industries, that advertised prices must include all nonoptional costs to the consumer.
Read More →
Used Autos Supply Dwindles
The March shopping surge, despite high prices, cut into inventory by the most since the thick of the pandemic, Cox Automotive analysts calculated.
Read More →
Managing Risk Effectively Through Changing Times
The variables influencing risk pricing have changed significantly over the past five years. Being proactive and responsive to emerging trends is not optional but essential.
Read More →
Survey Reveals What Won't Fix What's Breaking Car Sales
AutoPayPlus says extra-long auto loans are trapping consumers and threatening the dealer trade-in cycle, and that the industry is leveraging the wrong tools to combat high MSRPs.
Read More →