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Volvo XC90 Earns IIHS "Top Safety Pick Plus" Rating
Are you looking for a safe crossover SUV with seating for 7 people? Are you considering a used model in order to save some money, but you still want a safe SUV? If so, Volvo has a good option for you, and it's called the XC90.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has named the 2014 Volvo XC90 as a "Top Safety Pick Plus," reflecting the 3-row SUV's "Good" rating in the new small overlap frontal-impact crash test. The IIHS began conducting this test in 2013, and it is designed to reflect how well a vehicle manages crash energy and protects occupants if a vehicle strikes a tree, utility pole, or oncoming traffic on the left front corner of the vehicle.
Many new vehicles cannot pass this test, including those designed and engineered during the past few years. However, the 2014 Volvo XC90 received high marks in the new test as well as in all other IIHS crash-test assessments, despite the fact that its underlying body structure dates back a decade. The IIHS said, "While many vehicles have had to undergo significant structural changes to earn good ratings in the small overlap test, the XC90 has had the same basic platform since 2003." Note, however, that the IIHS officially applies this rating only to the 2013 XC90 and 2014 XC90.
The XC90 is the third Volvo model to earn a "Top Safety Pick Plus" designation, joining the Volvo S60 and Volvo XC60 on the short list of new models with such a rating. Volvo is redesigning the XC90 for the 2015 model year.
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