Chevrolet Bolt EV Named IIHS Top Safety Pick
The all-electric car excels in crashworthiness evaluations by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Photo: IIHS
The 2017-model year Chevrolet Bolt is a Top Safety Pick Award winner and the first all-electric vehicle to earn a 2017 award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the institute said.
The small car is new for the 2017 model year. Unlike the Chevrolet Volt, it has no back-up gas engine.
The Bolt earned the highest possible rating of “good” in all five of IIHS’s crash tests — small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints.
The car also has an optional front crash prevention system that drew a rating of “superior.” The Bolt avoided collisions in IIHS track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph, and the system has a forward collision-warning component that meets criteria from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
To earn an IIHS Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle must have a rating of “good” in all five crashworthiness tests and an available front crash prevention system with a “superior” or “advanced” rating. Vehicles that meet those criteria and also have headlights garnering a “good” or “acceptable” rating earn the Top Safety Pick+ award.
The Bolt is available only with headlights that drew a “poor” rating from IIHS. They provide fair to good visibility but produce excessive glare for oncoming drivers, the institute said.
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