The model has now become the first small car to be the recipient of the Top Safety Pick+ award.
There has been good news released for drivers of Honda Civics, both from a safety and an affordability perspective, as it has now become the first small car that has received the designation of Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The IIHS also named five other vehicles to have the Top Safety Pick+ award.
In order to receive the designation of being a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS, a vehicle needs to undergo a series of assessments that would deem it to provide good protection for the occupants in a minimum of four out of the five tests. The fifth test must score at least an acceptable rating. The 2013 models of the vehicles also need to score as good or at least acceptable in the IIHS small overlap test, which is new this year. This rating helps drivers to know that they – and their passengers – are safer while on the road, and that they may be able to obtain more affordable auto insurance.
This is because those 18 vehicles have been designated Top Safety Pick+, with the Honda Civic taking the first spot among small cars. The IIHS had already named 13 of them in December for the designation in the 2013 model year.
Both the Honda Civic 2 and 4 door models have now been added to the list that may be less expensive for auto insurance due to their Top Safety Pick+ designation. Also included as of last week have been the Mazda 6, the AB Volvo XC60, and the Ford Lincoln MKZ. Each of those was a 2013 model, except for the Mazda 6, which had been redesigned for the 2014 model year, instead.
The IIHS said that both of the Civic models, as well as the Volvo XC60 had earned good ratings for the new test for small overlap protection. The Mazda 6 and the Lincoln MKZ each received an acceptable rating on that test. Either of those will play favorably with auto insurance companies.
