The Subaru Legacy Outback fared the best in the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s latest roll-over tests, but the embattled Ford Explorer has again fared poorly.
The Subaru Legacy Outback fared the best in the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) latest rollover tests, but the embattled Ford Explorer has again fared poorly.
The NHTSA this week released its latest results of roll-over and crash safety tests. There have been legal battles in the United States because of deaths and injuries resulting from Ford Explorers that have rolled following blow outs of the Firestone Wilderness AT tyres fitted to them. And, latest NHTSA tests suggest that the Blue Oval’s SUV still poses a greater roll-over risk than most other SUVs on the road.
The Explorer again scored poorly, rating just two out of five in the roll-over tests. The BMW X5 scored three points, as did the Kia Sorento, Mitsubishi Outlander, Mercedes M-Class, Jeep Cherokee and Subaru Forester (all of which are currently available in South Africa).
However, the Subaru Legacy Outback (which admittedly has a lower ride height than most of its competitors) and the Nissan Murano (which Nissan SA was considering bringing to South Africa, CARtoday.com reported recently) scored with 4 out 5 in the roll-over testing.
Meanwhile, the X5 scored five for frontal driver and passenger protection, and five for side rear passenger protection. The Cherokee scored five for front driver protection, four for front passenger protection and five for side and side rear passenger protection.
The Sorento scored four for frontal protection of both front seat occupants and five for side and side rear passenger protection, and the Subaru Forester scored five in all categories. The Legacy Outback also gained five stars for side and side rear passenger protection, and the Volvo XC90 scored five for front driver protection, four for front passenger and five for side and side rear passenger protection.
Also tested was the BMW Z4 roadster, which scored five for roll-over performance, four for frontal driver and frontal passenger protection and three for side protection.
|
Make and Model
|
Frontal Driver
|
Frontal Passenger
|
Side Driver
|
Side Rear Passenger
|
Rollover
|
| BMW X5 |
5
|
5
|
4
|
5
|
3!
|
| BMW Z4 |
4
|
4
|
3
|
No Seat
|
5!
|
| Ford Explorer
Sport Trac 4×2 |
NT
|
NT
|
NT
|
NT
|
2
|
| Ford Explorer
Sport Trac 4×4 |
NT
|
NT
|
NT
|
NT
|
2
|
| Jeep Cherokee
|
5
|
4
|
5
|
5
|
3
|
| Kia Sorento
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
5
|
3^
|
| Mercedes ML350 |
NT
|
NT
|
NT
|
NT
|
3!
|
| Mitsubishi
Outlander |
4
|
4
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
| Nissan Murano
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
4
|
4^
|
| Subaru Forester
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
3
|
| Subaru Outback
|
NT
|
NT
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
| Volvo XC90
|
5
|
4
|
5
|
5
|
TBR
|
* = Higher Likelihood of Head Injury
! = Standard Electronic Stability Control
^ = Optional Electronic Stability Control
NT = Not tested
TBR = To Be Rated
