The new Mazda CX-5 is the only model to receive the highest possible safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) after it put 20 small SUVs through a rigorous new side impact test.
In a video report, the IIHS said that the CX-5 was their “top performer”. “The vehicle structure held up extremely well during the test, the airbags did a really good job protecting the heads of the crash test dummies, and there was very little intrusion into the occupant compartment, meaning less likelihood of injury. This is how we’d like to see all vehicles perform in the future.”
Mazda is launching the 2022 CX-5 in Europe early next year and will feature a wider range of safety systems.The upcoming model also marks the introduction of Mazda intelligent Drive Select (Mi-Drive), a new technology enabling the selection of different drive modes at the flick of a switch.
The IIHS is an independent safety-testing organisation funded by the insurance industry in the U.S. All 2021 Mazdas tested by the IIHS thus far are rated TOP SAFETY PICK+, the institution’s highest possible overall ranking. Besides the CX-5, these include the Mazda3, Mazda6, Mazda CX-3 and Mazda CX-30.