Volvo has long been considered a symbol of automotive safety, but today the Swedish brand is having to yield to competitors. According to the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), five compact crossovers have earned higher ratings than the Volvo XC40. Interestingly, almost all of the models on the list are officially sold in Kazakhstan, reports infohub.kz.
The Volvo XC40 itself cannot be called unsafe: in several crash tests it earned the top rating of Good. However, for side impact and whiplash protection, the crossover only managed an Acceptable. Some tests – such as headlights, collision avoidance systems, and LATCH child seat anchors – were not conducted by the IIHS. As a result, the crossover did not receive the highest honor of Top Safety Pick+.
According to the IIHS, five compact SUVs outperformed the Volvo in overall results. The Subaru Forester became the top performer in the ratings. It is the only model to earn Good in nearly all tests and to receive the Top Safety Pick+ award. The LATCH child seat anchors also earned the highest rating of Good+ for ease of use and the ability to install seats in all three second-row positions.
The Mazda CX-5 achieved top results in crash tests, collision avoidance systems, and seat belt reminders. However, the Good rating for headlights applies only to the top trim S Premium Plus – in more affordable versions, they received Acceptable.
The BMW X1 proved stronger than the Volvo in the side crash test, and also demonstrated high results in headlight performance, child seat anchors, and pedestrian collision avoidance. Its weak point was seat belt reminders: they were rated Marginal due to a too-quiet signal and lack of indication for second-row passengers.
The Hyundai Tucson also joined the ranks of Top Safety Pick+ winners. The crossover received top ratings in frontal and side crash tests and for collision avoidance systems. Whiplash protection was rated Poor, but that was not enough to deny the vehicle the IIHS's highest award.
The Kia Sportage rounds out the top five. The model earned Top Safety Pick+ and Good ratings in nearly all key tests. The exceptions were whiplash protection and child seat anchors, for which the Sportage received Acceptable.
Just a few years ago, Volvo was considered the industry benchmark for safety. It was the Swedish company that gave the world the three-point seat belt, which later became a global standard. However, the IIHS results show that competitors have not only caught up with Volvo but, in some segments, have surpassed it in independent testing. Meanwhile, the XC40 remains one of the safest compact crossovers, just no longer the only benchmark in its class.