Mitsubishi I MiEV Falls Short of Competition Crash Rating
Results for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) crash tests on the Mitsubishi i MiEV were released today, leaving the little electric vehicle trailing its competition.
Scoring four of five stars in the frontal crash test rating and three out of five for side-impact, Mitsubishi’s EV simply doesn’t measure up to the Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt, which both earned five-star ratings in the overall category. Rollover scores weren’t great either, with a four-star rating.
Furthermore, NHTSA noted that a door panel hit the rear seat dummy’s torso during the side-impact test, which prompted the firm to note an increased risk of lower back injury as well.
While nether the Volt nor the Leaf earned five-star ratings in every category, both vehicles managed to secure that nod overall. Still, the Mitsubishi does have a leg up on the competition in some sense. The EPA ranked the i MiEV as the most fuel efficient car in the U.S. with 126 MPGe in the city and 99 on the highway.
The Volt, on the other hand, has a 93 MPGe rating and a 37 mpg rating once the extended range takes over while the Leaf offers 106 MPGe around town and 92 on the highway.
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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