Despite the visually symmetrical body structure, in fact, the “iron” in the front parts of the tested crossovers turned out to be different on the left and right. Since the 25 percent barrier test has become a fixture in the automotive industry, many companies have reinforced their cars on the driver's side only, using stronger materials, thicker metal, or other hidden methods.
First of all, the IIHS checked those cars in which the front end was visually different on the right and left - Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Rogue (X-Trail in Europe). If the cars were given ratings based on the results of the test, then Toyota would have failed the test - after the impact, the penetration into the passenger compartment on the right side was as much as 33 cm. Nissan had maximum allowable passage values, but the displacement turned out to be almost the same - more than 25 cm.
As a result of the test, the door hinges of the Rogue were torn off, while the door of the RAV4 simply opened, which threatens to take passengers out of the car in the event of an accident.
In the next block of tests, we checked the visually symmetrical Subaru Forester and Mazda CX-5 - the results were at the level of the maximum permissible and acceptable. Three other cars - the Buick Encore (similar to the Opel Mokka), the Honda CR-V and the Hyundai Tucson - did not show a significant difference in the strength of the body when impacted on the right side. Moreover, Tucson even received a rating of "good".
The IIHS also tested the CR-V and RAV4 with a 50% barrier on the passenger side, and found no significant difference on the left side either.
Against the background of the discovered results, the organization intends to conduct such tests constantly. As early as 2017, testing with a 25% barrier on the passenger side will become a mandatory criterion for obtaining the highest score in the IIHS system.
Crash tests with a 25 percent barrier were carried out on the passenger sidestructure
