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2015 Toyota Prius c Named IIHS Top Safety Pick

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2015 Toyota Prius c IIHS Top Safety Pick

The 2015 Toyota Prius c is now an IIHS Top Safety Pick

Toyota’s littlest hybrid has some big news. After some structural improvements to the front end and occupant compartment, the Prius c has finally been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In previous years, the Prius c was excluded from this status due to its poor ratings in the difficult small front overlap test.

For 2015, Toyota worked on strengthening the Prius c’s front end to allow it to perform better in crash tests. “To improve overlap protection, Toyota made structural improvements to the front end and occupant compartment of 2015 Prius c models built after May,” IIHS explained. “The side curtain airbags also were lengthened.”

2015 Toyota Prius c IIHS Top Safety Pick

As in previous years, the 2015 Prius c also performed well in moderate overlap, front, side, head restraints, and roof strength. For now, the subcompact is exempt from achieving the Top Safety Pick+ status, given its lack of a front crash prevention system.

IIHS did note that the vehicle’s airbags weren’t ideal, and the seatbelt allowed too much forward movement of the crash dummy’s head and torso. However, IIHS explained, “Measures taken from the dummy indicate that injuries to the left lower leg would be possible in a crash of this severity. The risk of other significant injuries is low.”

The 2015 Prius c joins numerous other Toyota models which have been designated Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+, including the Avalon, Prius, Sienna, RAV4, Highlander, Camry, and Prius v.