Luxury cars score poorly in new U.S. crash test
Only two out of 11 models earn good ratings, with Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Lexus vehicles getting the thumbs down in an insurance institute programme
Several luxury cars, including the top-selling Mercedes-Benz C-Class, scored poorly in a new frontal crash test designed to mimic what happens when a car hits another vehicle, power pole or tree.
Of 11 midsize luxury or near-luxury cars built for the 2012 model year, only two - Honda's Acura TL and the Volvo S60 - earned "good" ratings in the test, the US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said. Volvo is owned by China's Geely.
The Mercedes C-Class, Volkswagen's Audi A4 and Toyota's Lexus IS 250 and Lexus ES 350 earned an overall "poor" rating in the test.
The first three models are sold in Hong Kong and are popular among local drivers, says Eric Wong of Richburg Motors.
The Mercedes and the Audi cost more than HK$300,000. "Benz sells very well in Asia … drivers think of it as a safe vehicle," Wong said. "Hong Kong consumers are very brand conscious. The report may not affect their decision in choosing a car."
The Acura TL is not sold in the city while the Volvo S60 is not popular.
Most cars are now built with safety cages that can handle head-on collisions and other crashes without crushing the driver and others inside the vehicle.