Good NHTSA and Poor IIHS Kia Spectra Ratings Raises Questions about Crash Test Methods

Kia to Meet with IIHS to Evaluate Test Results and Discuss Potential Upgrades to Spectra

The Arlington, Virginia-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently reported that the Kia Spectra fared worst
among five compact car entries, which included the best rated Mazda3, well rated Hyundai Elantra and acceptably ranked Suzuki Forenza (Chevrolet Optra) and Saturn ION, after a series of frontal offset crash tests.

Of interest, the Hyundai Elantra, which shares general architecture with the Spectra, earned a good overall rating, yet only after three tests revealed two design problems that led to recalls.

“The Kia Spectras poor performance was a surprise,” said IIHS chief operating officer Adrian Lund. “Most manufacturers have figured out how to design vehicles to do a good job of protecting people in frontal crashes. Kia lags behind its competitors.”

Making the wound smart even more acutely is the fact that the Spectra is the first vehicle the IIHS has given a poor frontal crash rating to since 2001.

But how did this occur? After all, the Spectra received extremely high crash test marks from the leading U.S. automotive safety organization, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), giving Kias compact a 4-star rating, out of a potential 5-stars, for frontal impact performance after the car underwent its rigorous NCAP test program.

The IIHS rating is completely acceptable on the grounds that the tests it does compared to those the U.S. Government conducts are very different. Although both hit barriers at the same speed, the NHTSAs tests are conducted into a non-deformable flat-faced barrier. The IIHS test is essentially the same as the EuroNCAP test, which runs cars into an offset barrier to the drivers side to signify a more real-to-life crash simulation, putting tremendous pressure on the drivers side front pillar, side pillar and frontal roofline. It also puts extreme pressures on the cars steering column, firewall and substructures, particularly around the footwell of the drivers side where intrusions and ruptures of the occupants cell are likely to occur.

The flat-faced barrier test which the NHTSA has used for decades is considered by experts to be a weak method in measuring vehicle safety, as very few collisions happen completely head on where the impact can be spread across the entire front of the car. The only productive use for this test is to show how the vehicles active safety systems, such as belts, and active head restraints and airbags can react. With such an evenly spread force, the vehicles structure does not get fully tested.

Many vehicles can receive a four star rating on frontal collision in the U.S. government tests but fail the IIHS, or EuroNCAP crash test. Chevys Venture, for instance, received 4 stars on driver and passenger impact in the US NCAP test, but a poor rating from the IIHS, and the rating was so poor by EuroNCAP that the vehicle had to be recalled from sale in Europe. In this particular case, the Ventures B-pillars and A-pillars failed completely, and as the seatbelt was attached to the B-pillar, the drivers seat was pitched completely forward into the steering wheel assembly which also failed, and plowed straight into the dummys face.

For this reason Kia announced it would meet with the IIHS to review the independent organizations results, and discuss
how the brand can improve its Spectra so that it offers greater passenger compartment protection.

“Occupant safety is an absolute priority for Kia,” commented the South Korean companys international public relations manager Christopher Dore. “In the development of the Spectra, we have put it through a battery of tests and we continue to have a high degree of confidence in the real-world protection offered by this vehicle.”

Thats exactly the question Kia wants answers to, and if the IIHS test proves the need to upgrade the Spectra the automaker says it will do so.

Dore continued by saying, “However, we are taking the results of the IIHS test extremely seriously. We are evaluating the results of this current test on the Spectra and similar vehicles in its class to determine what improvements can be made to enhance overall vehicle safety.”

The Korean brands engineers are in the process of meeting with IIHS staff to figure out if changes are necessary, and if so what improvements can be made to allow its compact sedan to achieve better test results.

After upgrades, if needed, Kia will deliver another Spectra to the IIHS for testing, and are confident it will receive an “acceptable” or even “good” grade.

Unfortunately for Kia, however, the damaging news will put some potential Spectra buyers off the sporty little sedan.

A good IIHS test result will go a long way to changing peoples perceptions, as long as Kia spreads the word via advertising and doesnt expect the mainstream press to report something positive.