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GMC Acadia Rated “Good” in New IIHS Passenger Small-Overlap Crash Test
The 2018 GMC Acadia received a “good” rating in recent passenger-side small overlap crash testing by the IIHS
A new passenger-side crash test has exposed dangerous vulnerabilities in some big-name midsize SUVs. Owners of the 2018 GMC Acadia can rest easy, though. The Acadia passed the test with ease, earning a “good” rating from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS).
The passenger-side small-overlap crash test is designed to show what will happen if a vehicle’s right corner smashes into another vehicle or a stationary object like a tree or utility pole. Most of today’s vehicles do a good job of protecting drivers from crashes like this involving the left side, but the passenger side effects hadn’t been tested as thoroughly.
When this test was conducted on the GMC Acadia, the vehicle’s structure held up instead of collapsing, and the door frame and dashboard did not intrude into the front passenger space. Meanwhile, the front and side airbags deployed properly, protecting the crash dummy from serious damage.
The IIHS gave the Acadia an overall rating of “good” for its test performance, meaning that front passengers face only a small risk of severe injuries in the event of a passenger-side small overlap crash.
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This assessment is made up of ratings for structure, passenger restraints and kinematics, and passenger injury measures for four different areas of the body. The Acadia was rated “good” in all of these areas with the exception of one “acceptable” rating for passenger restraints and kinematics. The “acceptable” rating pointed out that the crash dummy’s head was prone to injury from sliding off the front airbag.
While the Acadia passed the test with flying colors (along with the 2019 Kia Sorento and the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas), some other leading midsize SUVs didn’t fare so well.
The 2018 Ford Explorer and the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee were rated “poor” because crash testing resulted in serious breaches of the front passenger space and a high likelihood of serious injuries. In addition, the Grand Cherokee’s airbags didn’t work properly — the side airbag didn’t deploy, and the dummy’s head hit the dashboard through the front airbag.
Three other midsize SUVs — the 2018 Toyota Highlander, the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder, and the 2018 Honda Pilot — were rated “acceptable.”
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News Sources: IIHS, GM Authority
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