IIHS Pans Crash Performance of Minicars

Only one of 11 minicars tested the Chevrolet Spark has earned an "acceptable" rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's severe small overlap front crash.

Other models tested were the Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Mazda2, Mitsubishi Mirage, Nissan Versa, Toyota Prius c and Toyota Yaris.

All 11 vehicles scored only "marginal" or "poor" for structure. IIHS points out that a structural failure dramatically raises the risk of injury, often by shifting the steering column and knocking seats and front airbags out of position.

In the IIHS test, a vehicle's front corner must handle a 40-mph impact into a fixed barrier. The test deliberately bypasses most of the vehicle's front-end crush zone and is meant to simulate striking a tree, utility pole or edge of an oncoming vehicle.

IIHS singles out the Fiat 500 and Honda Fit as the worst performers. Both allowed serious intrusion into the driver space. The crash tore the 500's door open at the hinges. In the Fit, the test dummy slid past the airbag and struck the instrument panel.

The agency downgraded seven models because their seatbelt failed to hold the test dummy in place. Side curtain airbags didn't provide sufficient forward coverage in eight cars and weren't activated at all in the Toyota Yaris.

IIHS says the steering columns in several models moved sideways during impact and the seats tipped in three cars. Six cars earned "poor" ratings for restraints and kinematics.

The agency opines that consumers looking for high fuel economy should consider a larger vehicle equipped with a hybrid powertrain.