IIHS names 2009 Ford Escape as Top Safety Pick
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the 2009 Ford Escape as a Top Safety Pick, from a sample of 8 SUVs tested. The vehicles included the Ford Escape, Escape Hybrid, Mercury Mariner, Mazda Tribute, 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander, 2008 Nissan Rogue and 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan.
In the IIHS frontal offset crash test, the Ford Escape rated as” Good”, owing to a new seat design which improved its crashworthiness. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety revealed that smaller SUVs were better equipped with safety measures to deal with crashes, as auto companies incorporated more standard safety items into this popular segment. All the vehicles tested were equipped with standard electronic stability control and side airbags, but the IIHS President Adrian Lund highlighted the Escape.