The 2012 Fiat 500. Image: Chrysler Group LLC
Americans, it seems, are genetically conditioned to equate size with safety. Thanks to advances in automotive design and materials, the physical size of a car or truck is no longer a good indication of how safe the vehicle is. Take the 2012 Fiat 500, for example: the IIHS has just awarded Fiat 500 models built after August of 2011 a “Top Safety Pick” award, and the 500 is small enough to fall into the “minicar” category.
Earning the Top Safety Pick award requires a car to score “Good” (the agency’s highest rating) in frontal offset, side impact and roof strength testing. Cars also must be equipped with electronic stability control, which can help even inexperienced drivers avoid catastrophic rollover accidents.
As Autoblog points out, the Fiat 500 joins the Ford Fiesta as the only minicars to earn the Top Safety Pick rating. Since Chevrolet has big plans for the Spark in the U.S. market, expect that car to do well in crash testing when it hits the market next year.
Also, don’t forget that you can get discounted new car pricing with a free quote through qualified local dealer partners.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
