The Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX sport utility vehicles earned a "top
safety pick" grade today from the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety, which also raised its crash ratings on the Ford Fusion.
According to the Detroit Free Press article,
in a series of tests sponsored by Ford, the institute awarded both
vehicles "good" scores in front- and side-impact crash tests, as well
as "good" ratings for whiplash protection, a key concern of insurance
companies. The insurance institute gives its top safety pick to
vehicles that earn "good" ratings, its highest rating, in all three
tests and come standard with electronic stability control.
The Edge and MKX are the first domestic vehicles to win the top rating under the institute's latest standards.
Ford's extensive efforts to win the top marks highlight the influence
safety standards have on potential buyers. The insurance institute said
its newest award standards apply only to vehicles built after January,
when Ford made a change to headrests in the Edge and MKX to earn the
whiplash protection score.
For
Ford's Fusion, the institute raised its front- and side-impact ratings
to "good"; it had scored "acceptable" for frontal impact and "poor" for
side impact in models lacking side air bags in tests released in
September. To earn the new grades, the institute said Ford revised the
Fusion, modifying the door trim and floor pan and making side air bags
standard.
The Fusion missed the top safety pick because it was rated "marginal"
for whiplash protection and isn't sold with electronic stability
control. The same ratings apply to Ford's Milan, which is mechanically
identical to the Fusion.
The Lincoln MKZ sedan received the improved frontal crash score but its side-impact grade stayed at "acceptable."
The
institute conducts front crash tests by ramming cars into a barrier on
the driver's side at 40 m.p.h., and tests side impact by ramming
vehicles with a truck-shaped barrier traveling at 31 m.p.h. Both are
more severe than federal tests conducted by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which is considering updates to its test
procedures.