Ford earns more of the top honors than any other automaker
On the heels of earning a 5-star crash-worthiness rating from the U.S. government, the 2009 Ford Escape and Escape Hybrid were awarded a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
To receive IIHS’s Top Safety Pick, vehicles must achieve the top “good” ratings in the institute’s high-speed front and side crash tests, and rear crash tests that include seat and head restraint evaluations. An added requirement since 2007 is that vehicles must also offer electronic stability control.
The IIHS recognized the Escape for:
- Modifications to the frontal airbags and safety belts
- Structural changes to improve occupant protection in frontal crashes
- A new seat design that improves the rear crash protection rating
The Escape bested the Toyota RAV-4 in both independent crash safety ratings and, with the 2009 Escape’s improved fuel efficiency, offers better combined crash safety and fuel efficiency ratings than the Honda CR-V. The Escape hybrid also outpaced the Toyota Prius in both crash tests.
Quotes
“Earning a Top Safety Pick is great news because IIHS tests are some of the most demanding conducted outside of our own laboratories, and customers are increasingly relying on them when choosing a new vehicle. The Ford Escape is one of few vehicles that earned both full 5-star crash ratings and a Top Safety Pick in the hotly contested small SUV segment – some of our toughest rivals such as Toyota cannot match us.”
- Susan Cischke, Senior Vice President of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering
“We’ve devoted many hours to analyzing and improving the body structure, safety belts and air bags of Escape and Mariner for better performance in front and side impact crashes. We’ve taken our compact SUVs to the next level of safety.”
- Steve Kozak, Ford Motors Chief Engineer for Safety Systems
Tags: 2009 Ford Escape, Ford Escape Hybrid, Ford Safety, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
