Smart ForTwo Comes Out on Top in Roof-Strength Test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released the results of its first crash test to determine roof strength for small cars. Only one of the six cars tested — the Smart ForTwo — earned the top rating of Good. The Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mini Cooper and Toyota Yaris earned Acceptable ratings, while the Chevy Aveo managed only a Marginal rating.

These new tests are important because they will be included in the 2010 Top Safety Pick awards that IIHS hands out. The roof tests require a car to withstand a force four times the vehicle’s weight per 5 inches of crushed area. That produces a strength-to-weight ratio. A ratio of 4 is the minimum to earn a Good rating, 3.25 is minimum for an Acceptable rating and 2.5 for Marginal. Anything below that is a Poor. The Smart Fortwo earned a 5.4 rating.

IIHS points to rollover crashes accounting for 10,000 deaths a year as the main reason to add the roof test to its side, rear and frontal crash tests. However, IIHS points out that while a strong roof helps prevent injuries after a rollover, the cars themselves should be more stable to prevent such accidents. The Smart ForTwo has a three-star rollover rating from the government, while the Fit, Cooper and Yaris have four-star rollover ratings.

Last year, 84 vehicles earned Top Safety Pick status, including the Honda Fit, which looks to lose that status with its score of Acceptable in the roof test. 

Honda Fit Hybrid Possible for 2010

Japan's Nikkei business daily is reporting that Honda will roll out a hybrid version of its Fit subcompact in the fall of 2010. Presumably this would be in Japan, before a worldwide launch later on. The company has already said it will release a hybrid CR-Z sports car in 2010.

The move comes on the heels of a recent spike in demand for the new hybrid Insight in Japan. We're guessing the recent mileage enhancements for U.S. vehicles also helped Honda pull the trigger a bit early.

Reuters rightly notes that Nikkei doesn't name sources for some of its information, including a starting price of roughly $15,800 for the Fit Hybrid when it goes on sale in Japan. That’s $3,000 less than what the Insight is selling for in Japan.

We can’t imagine the Fit Hybrid going for that small an amount, and suggest that the report be taken with a grain of salt.

Honda to roll out hybrid Fit in autumn 2010: report (Reuters)

2009|Honda|Fit

The Weekend Athlete Compares Compact Cars

Compact cars usually garner attention for their low price tags and advantageous fuel economy numbers, but our Weekend Athlete, Bill Jackson, wants to put the spotlight on the utilitarian side of these vehicles. With this in mind, he lined up three of the most popular compacts: The Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris. Which vehicle best matches utility with economy? Read this Cars.comparison to find out.

Cars.comparison: Weekend Athlete Cars