2014 BMW 2 Series earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ [w/video]

Thu, 26 Jun 2014

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just certified its latest Top Safety Pick+, honoring the all-new BMW 2 Series with the coveted rating.

IIHS cited the 2 Series' crash test ratings, which were rated as "Good" in the small overlap, moderate overlap, side and rollover. In the tricky small overlap test, the crash test dummy was at a "low risk of any significant injury."

The Institute was also complimentary of the 2 Series' head restraint system and its collision prevention system, including forward collision warning and City Braking.

Scroll down for the official press release from IIHS, as well as the crash test video of the 2 Series.

2014 BMW 2 series earns TOP SAFETY PICK+

ARLINGTON, Va. - The 2014 BMW 2 series, a midsize luxury car, earns the IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ award for good performance in the Institute's crashworthiness evaluations and an advanced rating for front crash prevention. It is the first BMW model to earn either of the Institute's safety awards for 2014 and the first BMW to earn a good or acceptable rating in the challenging small overlap front crash test.

BMW redesigned the 1 series for the 2014 model year and renamed it the 2 series. The 2 series earns good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations. The head restraint rating applies only to models manufactured after June 2014.

In the small overlap test, the driver's space was maintained reasonably well. Injury measures recorded on the driver dummy indicated a low risk of any significant injuries in a real-world crash of this severity. The dummy's head made good contact with the frontal airbag, which stayed in position during the crash, and the side curtain airbag deployed to protect the head from contact with side structures.

The Institute introduced the small overlap evaluation in 2012. In the test, which is more challenging than either the head-on crashes conducted by the government or the IIHS moderate overlap test, 25 percent of a vehicle's front end on the driver's side strikes a rigid barrier at 40 mph. The crash replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle strikes another vehicle or object like a tree or a utility pole.

An optional forward collision warning and braking system, called City Braking, earns the 2 series an advanced rating for front crash prevention. The system has automatic braking technology that significantly reduced the vehicle's speed in the Institute's 12 mph test.

The 2 series is the fifth midsize luxury car to earn the Institute's highest award for 2014. To qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK+, a vehicle must earn a good or acceptable rating for small overlap protection, a good rating in the Institute's other four tests, and a basic, advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention.

By Brandon Turkus