Redesigned Toyota Corolla earns marginal rating in small overlap front crash test

Action shot taken during the small overlap frontal crash test. Courtesy IIHS

The 2014 Toyota Corolla, a small car redesigned for the 2014 model year, earns a marginal rating for performance in the IIHS small overlap front crash test.

Structural performance was poor and the driver’s space was seriously compromised by intruding structure. Measures from the dummy indicate that injuries to the left lower leg would be possible in a real-world crash of this severity. The dummy’s head contacted the front airbag but rolled to the left as the steering wheel moved 4 inches to the right. That left the head vulnerable to contact with forward structures like the windshield pillar and dashboard. The side curtain airbag deployed and had sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with forward side structure, such as the roof rail and interior door panel, and outside objects.

IIHS released results for 12 other small cars in August but didn’t test the Corolla because the redesigned model was about to be released. If design changes are imminent, the Institute delays tests to ensure that its ratings don’t soon become obsolete. The practice also encourages automakers to improve designs more quickly.

In the earlier tests of the small cars, half earned a good or acceptable rating for occupant protection in a small overlap crash and qualified for the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation. Six other small cars earned marginal or poor ratings.

Door hinge pillar and instrument panel intrusion was extensive and contributed to a moderate risk of injury to the left lower leg. IIHS

The Institute added the small overlap test to its lineup of vehicle safety evaluations last year. It replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object like a tree or a utility pole. In the test, 25 percent of a vehicle’s front end on the driver side strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 64 kph. A 50th percentile male Hybrid III dummy is belted in the driver seat.

The Corolla currently qualifies for the 2013 Top Safety Pick award, without the +, for good ratings in the Institute’s four other tests — moderate overlap front, side, rollover and rear.