New small cars generally received good ratings for frontal crashes, but they fare worse when tested in side and rear collisions, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
IIHS said it tested seven 2009 small car models from various auto manufacturers. All cars tested earned the highest rating of "good" for frontal crashes, but only the Suzuki SX4 and Toyota Matrix (and its twin, the Pontiac Vibe) earned good ratings for side crashes.
However, the IIHS said side protection has improved since 2006. For the 21 current small cars rated by IIHS, 11 earned good ratings for side protection. IIHS said in 2006, only three of 19 small cars tested earned good ratings, and most cars earned poor ratings.
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