The 2012 Fiat 500 has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick rating. The Fiat 500's performance in front, side, rollover, and rear tests was rated as good, the highest score.
In the roll over test, the Fiat 500 scored the best in its class. The roof on the Fiat 500 can withstand 6 times its own weight in the test which is nearly twice the amount as a MINI can withstand.
Offset front impact at 40 MPH
Overall evaluation: Good*
The dummy's arm broke the interior door handle, and an access hole for a bolt at the elbow engaged and activated the door latch
Here are some observations from the IIHS:
Restraints/dummy kinematics — Dummy movement appeared to be well controlled even though the driver door opened. The driver side curtain and side torso airbags deployed during the crash. During rebound, the dummy's head contacted the side curtain airbag.
Injury measures — Measures taken from the neck and chest indicate low risk of injuries to these body regions in a crash of this severity. Forces on the head when the dummy hit the steering wheel through the frontal airbag indicate that head injuries would be possible. Forces on the right foot indicate that foot injuries would also be possible.
*The good rating applies to cars built after July 2011. The Fiat 500 was tested twice. The first test indicated a cross tube in the driver's seat could possibly pull out, shift the seat and lessen the effectiveness of the airbag. Chrysler/Fiat modified the seat structure to improve the performance in cars manufactured after July 2011.
Below is the video of the first test:
Side impact test
Overall evaluation: Good
2012 Fiat 500 with standard side airbags 31 mph side impact test
IIHS observations:
Injury measures:
Driver — Measures taken from the dummy indicate that a fracture of the pelvis would be possible in a crash of this severity.
Rear passenger — Measures taken from the dummy indicate a low risk of any significant injuries in a crash of this severity.
Head protection:
Driver — The dummy’s head was protected from being hit by any hard structures, including the intruding barrier, by a side curtain airbag that deployed from the roof.
Rear passenger — The dummy’s head was protected from being hit by any hard structures, including the intruding barrier, by a side curtain airbag that deployed from the roof.
Roof
Overall evaluation: Good
To measure roof strength, a metal plate is pushed against one corner of a vehicle's roof at a constant speed. The maximum force sustained by the roof before 5 inches of crush is compared to the vehicle's weight to find the strength-to-weight ratio. This is a good assessment of vehicle structural protection in rollover crashes.
Vehicles only need a strength-to-weight ratio of 1.5 to meet the federal regulation. The Fiat 500 roof can withstand 6 times its weight.
| Car | Rating | Peak force (lbs) | Strength-to-weight ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiat 500 20012 models | Good | 15,221 | 6.16 |
| Ford Fiesta sedan 2011-12 models | Good | 14,122 | 5.42 |
| Hyundai Accent 2012 models | Good | 13,172 | 5.22 |
| Ford Fiesta hatchback 2011-12 models | Good | 13,142 | 5.05 |
| Mazda 2 2011 models | Good | 9,701 | 4.18 |
| Toyota Yaris 2007-11 models | Acceptable | 9,072 | 3.78 |
| Hyundai Accent Kia Rio 2006-11 models | Acceptable | 9,526 | 3.72 |
| MINI Cooper 2007-11 models | Acceptable | 8,810 | 3.44 |
| Honda Fit 2009-11 models | Acceptable | 8,787 | 3042 |
| Chevrolet Aveo 2009-11 models | Marginal | 7,935 | 3.09 |
2012 Fiat 500 Safety
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Fiat 500 US version
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US Fiat 500
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5 (
88 ratings )
- Tuesday, October 18, 2011
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