New Beetle 'best pick' for safety

1998 Volkswagen New Beetle

May 4, 1998
Web posted at: 11:17 a.m. EDT (1517 GMT)

DETROIT (CNN) -- Volkswagen's New Beetle is the "best pick" for safety in the small-car class, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Monday, following a series of low and high-speed crash tests.

The institute, which is backed by insurers, said it evaluated 16 small cars for crash-worthiness, including the 1997-98 models of the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Ford Escort, Dodge/Plymouth Neon and Kia Sephia.

Here are some of the key results as explained by the institute's President Brian O'Neill:

The wrecked cars are shown at a news conference VXtreme streaming video (3:00)
Video from the high-speed (40 mph) frontal offset crash test
	855K/13 sec./240x180 423K/13 sec./160x120 QuickTime movie
Video from the low-speed (5 mph) rear bumper test
	1.0MB/20 sec./240x180 591K/20 sec./160x120 QuickTime movie

• The Beetle is the only model to earn an overall evaluation of good and a "best pick" designation. Among the other 15 models, nine are rated acceptable, two marginal, and four poor overall.

• The Beetle is the only model with head restraint rated good.

• The Beetle sustained by far the least amount of damage in four low-speed (5 mph) crash tests -- a total of $134 damage compared with more than $1,000 damage for most small cars and more than $3,000 damage for the worst performer, the Hyundai Elantra.

• The Beetle is one of only a few small car models with air bags to protect people in side impacts.

Crash test comparison between a 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle and a 1997 Honda Civic

The results were a far cry from the original Beetle, which -- though many loved it for its reliability and low cost -- had a reputation of being a tin can in accidents.

Volkswagen spokesman Tony Fouladpour said the positive crash test results may help spur even more sales of the popular Bug, which has become a smash hit since its reintroduction in the United States this year. Reports abound of waiting lists hundreds of names long and of cars selling for thousands of dollars above the sticker price.

The crash tests were carried out at the institute's test site in Ruckersville, Virginia, last month.

The first one left the Beetle's metallic blue front end smashed and its hood buckled but its passenger compartment largely intact.

On the first test, the driver-side air bag inflated well, then deflated a bit too quickly when used in combination with a seat belt system that allows some slack in a crash to prevent rib injuries.

The air bag-seat belt system managed the crash energy in a way that indicated the possibility of minor head injury in an accident, O'Neill said.

Volkswagen then retested with an air bag with smaller vent holes, which produced better results.

The second test also included a new headrest that locks in place in several settings.

Both the new headrest and modified air bag will be in Beetles coming off the production line next month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• New Beetle ranks No. 1 in slow-speed crash test - April 27, 1998
• World goes bug-eyed for the four-wheeled Beetle - April 8, 1998
• New Beetle, '98 Corvette stars of auto show - January 5, 1998
• Volkswagen to roll out the New Beetle - July 14, 1997

Related sites:

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• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
  • Volkswagen's New Beetle sets safety standard among small cars
  • 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle crash test statistics
  • Excellent bumpers on Volkswagen's New Beetle
• Volkswagen - official site in the U.S.
  • The New Beetle
• The Volkswagen New Beetle - official site from Volkswagen AG in Germany
• Additional "Wheels" links

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