- The 2012 Fiat 500 cleared a critical hurdle on Tuesday, winning a top safety rating in minicar crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also announced that the 2012 Fiat 500 will be among the 74 vehicles it will crash test for the new model year.
- The Fiat 500 and Ford Fiesta are the only minicar to earn the top safety rating thus far by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
ARLINGTON, Virginia — The 2012 Fiat 500 cleared a critical hurdle on Tuesday, winning a top safety rating in minicar crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The award applies to Fiat 500s built after July 2011 because the driver's seat structure was modified to improve occupant protection in frontal and rear-end crashes, the IIHS noted in a statement.
The announcement is reassuring news to consumers who might wonder if they're trading safety considerations for fuel savings. The Fiat 500 with a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission returns 27 mpg in city driving and 34 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. The AAA Daily Fuel Gauge on Wednesday said the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline stood at $3.47.
The Fiat 500 and Ford Fiesta are the only minicar to earn the top safety rating thus far by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also announced that the 2012 Fiat 500 will be among the 74 vehicles it will crash test for the new model year.
The Fiat 500 will be tested as part of the agency's five-star safety rating program. As of Wednesday morning, those results were not yet posted at Safercar.gov.
Word of Fiat's safety accomplishment was greeted by the headline "J.Lo's Famous Booty in Good Hands," by USA Today — a reference to Fiat's new high-profile advertising campaign starring Jennifer Lopez.
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