When a certain United States safety authority crash-tested the previous-generation BMW 5 Series, it reported that the German sedan “didn’t hold up well” during the small overlap evaluation. But the new model from the Munich-based automaker has seemingly righted that wrong.
The seventh-generation 5 Series offered “good protection” in the small overlap front crash, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US, winning it the authority’s Top Safety Pick+ award.
The IIHS evaluation showed “across-the-board good crashworthiness”, while the vehicle’s optional front crash prevention system scored a “superior rating”.
“In the small overlap test of the 2017 model, the driver space was maintained well, with maximum intrusion of five inches at the footrest. The airbags and safety belt worked well together to control the dummy’s movement, and measures taken from the dummy indicated a low risk of any significant injuries in a real-world crash of the same severity,” the IIHS said in its report.
“In contrast, when the earlier model was tested, maximum intrusion reached 12 inches at the footrest, and the steering column was pushed back three inches toward the driver. Measures taken from the dummy indicated that injuries to the left lower leg would be likely in a real-world crash, with possible injuries to the left foot as well,” the organisation explained.
This comes after Euro NCAP last month awarded the new BMW 5 Series a five-star safety rating.
Watch the IIHS crash-test below…
