2015 Honda Fit Expected to Ace Crash Tests

It didn’t take long for Honda to address safety concerns around its Fit sub-compact hatchback raised by the IIHS’ small overlap crash test.

In its current form, the car failed miserably enough to be highlighted by the insurance industry funded organization as one of the two worst. During the small overlap test, which launches cars into a fixed barrier so that roughly 25 percent of the car makes an impact, the crash test dummy’s head glanced off the airbag and smacked the instrument panel. But Honda says it expects the 2015 Fit to perform differently.

The company said it expects the new Fit to “earn top safety scores from the IIHS, with a “Good” rating in all test modes including the rigorous small overlap crash test.” Honda isn’t the only company suffering reduced scores as a result of the new test. Seven of the 11 “minicars” tested by the IIHS were assigned downgraded scores compared to last year thanks to a more rigorous set of standards for cars to be named either a “Top Safety Pick” or “Top Safety Pick Plus.”

SEE ALSO: City Cars Flunk IIHS Crash Test: Honda, Fiat Fare Worst

Honda’s promises about the new Fit don’t end there. “We also expect the 2015 Fit to earn the highest possible 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),” it said in a statement.

Debuting last week during the Detroit Auto Show, Honda’s 2015 Fit has apparently been engineered to better comply with the latest battery of crash tests. The IIHS stressed today that sub-compact cars are generally less safe because of their light weight and small size. Honda says it hopes to demonstrate that small cars can earn high safety scores despite those challenges.

If it succeeds, the Fit could be the first car in its class to do so. Currently, the Chevrolet Spark is the only car in its category that can claim to be a Top Safety Pick. Nevertheless, it does so without earning top marks in all of the IIHS’ tested categories. It earned and “acceptable” rating in the small overlap test, which is just enough to squeak past the prescribed minimum.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.