Majority of compact cars unsafe, says US authority

Respected US safety authority the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has tested 11 sub-light or sub-compact 'mini' cars and only one was awarded an 'acceptable' rating -- the Holden Barina Spark, which wears Chevrolet badges in the US.

The other 10 cars were given 'marginal' and 'poor' overall ratings, including the Ford Fiesta, which was awarded top marks and a five-star safety rating in Australia by ANCAP.

The IIHS is the US equivalent of the European or Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), which evaluates and crash tests vehicles to determine their various occupant and pedestrian safety levels.

All of the 11 sub-light cars tested by the IIHS in the USA are available in Australia, and their 'overall' crash test performances are as follows:

Chevrolet Spark: acceptable
Mazda2: marginal
Kia Rio: marginal
Toyota Yaris: marginal
Ford Fiesta: marginal
Hyundai Accent: marginal
Mitsubishi Mirage: poor
Toyota Prius C: poor
Nissan Versa (Almera): poor
Fiat 500: poor
Honda Fit (Jazz): poor

The IIHS's senior vice-president for vehicle research, Joe Nolan, explained that recent testing of sub-light cars in a small overlap crash simulation revealed significant weaknesses in the cars' structural integrity.

"The institute is revealing the first small overlap front crash results for a group of 11 minicars. We implemented the more challenging small overlap test in 2012, and minicars are the worst performing group of any group tested," he said.

The IIHS overlap crash test is designed to replicate what occurs when a car's front corner impacts with a telegraph pole or another vehicle. It is conducted at a speed of around 60km/h (40mph).

"A small overlap crash can be devastating because often the main structural elements of the vehicle are bypassed. If a vehicle's not designed for this it can lead to massive collapse of the occupant compartment and a big reduction in survival space," says Nolan.

"Small, lightweight vehicles have an inherent safety disadvantage. That’s why it’s even more important to choose one with the best occupant protection," he added.

In operation since 1959, the IIHS is a non-profit organisation funded by US car insurance companies and is well regarded as a global authority on vehicle safety. See the video below for some of the crash testing in action.