What Does a 5 Star Crash Test Rating Really Mean

Recently the Fait 500 has been getting a lot of press due to the 3 star rating given by the NHTSA but 4 Star by the IIHS. The Fiat really is an unusual car for the US using some new age tech in the power steering rack and power steering pump not to mention the rest of the car. The issue is that these two organizations use similar tests but they are different enough to reveal some serious issues.

Crash tests are designed to do just what they say. They test the ability of a vehicle to take a big hit at certain speeds. The problem with this is that it does not give the total results that are needed to know how a vehicle will react in a real world crash. The placement of a crash in the car is what will really dictate how the safety features. The NHTSA and IIHS are both trusted to test vehicles but just the placement and the speeds used in the tests. In the case of the Fiat 500 it is more about the height of the barrier than anything else, at a low point the little fiat does fine but when higher it causes massive damage.

The issue with this small height change is that this car is meant for the US, and we all know that the US loves their SUVs. Not only do we love them but we are not willing to give them up even when gas hits $4 a gallon. They have high front bumpers and very heavy weight behind them, so for the car world it makes very dangerous conditions. A crash test rating may be 5 star but from a vehicle that is the sale height, a much higher one will impact in an area that is mainly glass. This means there is next to no protection at all for the driver. The main thing to realize about crash tests is they can only tell us so much and it is up to all of us to keep the roads safe. Keep driving distractions like cell phones out of our hands, vehicular safety is only as good as the accident that can be avoided. The best crash safety is the crash you never have. 

Is the Fiat 500 Abarth Something that Should be Taken Seriously

The Abarth is a version of the Fiat 500 that stems back to the 50s and it is all about a small car with gobs of horsepower. This little Fiat is running a 1.4 liter 4 banger pushing out 160 HP which is boosted by a turbocharger. This little turbo car is trying to make a name for its self in the united states where the basic 500 is falling short in sales numbers. The main question is whether or not the 500 can make Americans stand up and take notice.

What makes the fiat 500 stand out on the US streets is the fact that it is a small car that is still extremely high build quality. The idea behind it is that we can look at this thing like a designer hand bag. The question is will Americans see this as a fashion accessory or will they just ignore it as a whole. The sales numbers for the original 500 are very sad but the car its self is very nice so what is the problem. The main issue is the American aversion to small cars. Unless it’s a sports car a small car gives the impression of a cheap car, this is a hard stereotype to break. Not only is it a stereo type that fiat is going to have to overcome but there are other companies that are having similar issues as well. Hyundai for one is struggling to make their new line more appealing to new segments. The main issue for Hyundai is the fact that they were always know for cheap eco boxes that fell apart and looked like well you know. Nowadays they are a whole different animal. The problem is changing the perception of the average American.

Fiat may be pushing their cars with a series of commercials with J-Lo. They act like the car is “Hard” or “from the hood” which honestly makes no sense since the car is from Italy. This is a car for people who love their cars and want to take a car out and thrash it on a day to day basis. The imagery for the 500 should be that of romance with the car, the countryside and the love of your life. Combine the things that people will do with this car. Don’t advertise to people who love their Chrysler 300 with 24 inch rims, they are not going to go for it. The basic thought is that the 500 is an amazing car especially for city driving and the 500 Abarth is like its older brother that beats it up when mom is not looking. To quote Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear “What you have here is a pet mouse that can be used for killing burglars”. This means we may want to give this little beats a shot.