First and only all-new 2013 midsize car to receive top ratings
Article courtesy of GM Canada, can be found here.
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco is the first and only all-new 2013 midsize car to receive double honours for safety including a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a 2012 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Both are the highest ratings possible.
The IIHS tests vehicles to determine how well they protect occupants in front and side crash tests, in rollovers via a roof strength test, and simulated rear impacts to evaluate seat and head restraints for protection against neck injuries. The Malibu Eco achieved a “good” score in all four types of tests performed and has standard electronic stability control, which the IIHS requires for Top Safety Pick designation.
In achieving the 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score, the Malibu Eco was tested under NHTSA’s revised New Car Assessment Program. The overall score is based on frontal and side crash tests in addition to evaluation for rollover resistance. Under the rating system, performances in three test segments are combined mathematically into an “Overall Vehicle Score.”
"With the Malibu Eco, Chevrolet has earned seven 2012 TOP SAFETY PICK awards," said IIHS President Adrian Lund. "The IIHS and NHTSA results demonstrate GM's commitment to state-of-the-art crash protection."
Under this methodology, the Chevy Malibu Eco achieved an Overall Vehicle Score of five stars – the highest rating possible - even though some individual ratings, such as rollover, resulted in four stars.
The all-new 2013 Malibu will be sold in nearly 100 markets on six continents. It was designed and engineered to achieve top safety ratings and to meet pedestrian protection standards where such requirements exist. Last November, General Motors announced that the Malibu also earned a top five-star rating by the European New Car Assessment Program, known as Euro NCAP.
GM designs its new products to perform well in the metrics IIHS and NHTSA use to communicate crash worthiness to customers. There are 11 GM 2012 models with a 5-Star Overall Vehicle NCAP score and the Malibu Eco is among the first 2013 GM models to receive this rating. There are now 15 GM vehicles that have an IIHS 2012 Top Safety Pick designation.
“We are now seeing the results from our commitment to design the highest-rated vehicles in the world in safety performance,” said Gay Kent, GM executive director of Vehicle Safety. “Earning these top safety ratings demonstrates the strength of the Malibu’s advanced structure, overall crashworthiness and effectiveness of the vehicle’s state-of-the-art safety technologies.”
The all-new Malibu is designed and engineered to help drivers avoid crashes, while protecting occupants if a crash occurs. Standard safety features include:
- A body structure made up of 65 percent high strength and ultra-high strength steels
- Driver and front passenger dual-stage frontal air bags, seat-mounted side air bags and knee air bags and head curtain side air bags with rollover protection that cover front and outboard rear-seating rows
- Rollover sensors which can activate the head curtain side air bags if sensors determine an imminent rollover. In a rollover, the air bags stay inflated longer to provide increased occupant protection
- StabiliTrak electronic stability control helps the driver maintain control by comparing the path being steered by the driver with the actual response and, when necessary, applying the brakes or adjusting the throttle or a combination of both
- Four-channel disc brakes with ABS, full-function traction control and panic brake assist that activates when an emergency braking maneuver is detected. The system automatically develops additional brake pressure to more quickly engage ABS
- Front safety belt pretensioners to reduce forward movement and load-limiting retractors to help manage forces during a collision
- OnStar, which features the Automatic Crash Response System that uses GPS and cellular phone technology to automatically call for help in a crash that deploys the air bags.
The Malibu Eco with fuel-saving eAssist technology is Chevrolet’s most fuel-efficient midsize car ever. It goes on sale in Canada later this summer. Chevrolet will also offer an all-new fuel-efficient 2.5L Ecotec engine on the full Malibu lineup and a new turbo model will be available this fall.
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