For safety-conscious drivers, the 2021 Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security TOP SAFETY PICK awards signify a wealth of selections.
Annually, the IIHS, a nonprofit analysis and schooling group, conducts exams to find out which automobiles do one of the best job of defending folks in the commonest sorts of crashes — entrance, aspect, rollover and rear. Automobiles should additionally rating nicely in entrance crash prevention and headlights.
The IIHS awarded winners in 11 measurement classes, from small vehicles to massive pickups. This yr’s variety of automobiles on the IIHS record elevated by greater than 50 p.c over 2020, and the vehicles incomes the premium TOP SAFETY PICK+ accolade greater than doubled.
What Makes a TOP SAFETY PICK?
Virtually yearly, the IIHS barely adjusts its standards for automobiles to earn both TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ standing. When establishing the standards for the awards, the IIHS phases in new necessities steadily – first as standards for the “plus” award, then later for the common TOP SAFETY PICK award. This provides automakers time to plan forward and modify future designs.
Listed below are a number of options you’ll discover on this yr’s prime rated automobiles:
- Headlight enhancements: Beginning final yr, solely automobiles with good or acceptable headlights throughout all trims and packages may earn TOP SAFETY PICK+ standing. By holding this commonplace, automakers responded by extra doubling the automobiles that qualify.
- Entrance crash prevention: Automobiles should not required to have commonplace entrance crash prevention to qualify for the awards, but it surely didn’t harm any of the winners. All 49 TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners and 31 TOP SAFETY PICK winners have commonplace techniques that meet the vehicle-to-vehicle requirement. And all however one of many “plus” picks additionally meet the prevention criterion with their commonplace techniques.
- Crashworthiness: After all, all award winners want robust efficiency in all six IIHS crash exams. Final yr, the IIHS required a better commonplace of “good” within the passenger-side small overlap entrance check. (In 2019, the decrease “acceptable” ranking was ample to win an award.)
For extra particulars on how IIHS crash exams work (and what they search for), go to the security rankings web page on the IIHS web site.
The 2021 TOP SAFETY PICK+ Winners
In all, 90 vehicles and SUVs earned TOP SAFETY PICK standing, together with 49 that achieved the elite “plus” distinction. This complete represents a marked improve from 2020, when 64 fashions have been named TOP SAFETY PICKs and 23 garnered plus designation.
Volvo paced the sphere with 9 TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards. The Swedish automaker positioned 4 fashions every within the midsize luxurious automobile (S60, S60 Recharge, V60 and V60 Recharge) and midsize luxurious SUV (XC 60, XC60 Recharge, XC90 and XC90 Recharge) classes, whereas its XC40 additionally earned the excellence within the small SUV class.
Hyundai Motor Group —which manufactures the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis manufacturers — once more led all automakers with 12 general TOP SAFETY PICKS, together with 5 pluses. The Hyundai Palisade and Nexo, Genesis G70 and G90, and the Kia K5 every earned prime marks.
For the complete record of winners and rankings, go to iihs.org/rankings.
Insurance coverage for New and Used Automobiles
Automobile purchasing can signify the proper time to rethink your auto insurance coverage. Listed below are a number of associated tales from our weblog that may present some useful perception:
- What Determines the Value of My Auto Insurance coverage?
- What’s Cheaper: Insuring Previous Automobiles or New Automobiles?
- Do I Have Insurance coverage After I Drive My New Automobile Off the Lot?
- What to Know Earlier than Buying and selling In Your Automobile
- Ought to You Purchase a New or Used Automobile?
Whether or not you propose on buying a 2021 TOP SAFETY PICK, a unique automobile or are sticking along with your present set of wheels, an area ERIE agent is prepared that can assist you discover the proper protection for you. Contact them at the moment to begin a dialog.