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Ford F-150 MI drivers shopping for 2011 model year pickups will find the Ford F150 and other vehicles with a different type of safety rating, one that’s more stringent and provides more information.
Ford F-150 MI buyers will be able to review the 2011 model-year pickup rated on new government safety standards. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday, July 29, 2010, the complete lineup of 2011 model-year vehicles that will undergo a new safety ratings evaluation.
The 5-star safety rating program has been updated, and Ford F-150 MI shoppers will find the truck as well as 54 others have been reviewed under stricter safety standards. There will be only one overall safety score per vehicle tested, instead of the multiple star ratings.
The Detroit News reports the NHTSA will require new crash-test dummies, including one to resemble a “small woman” that will be placed in the front seat during a crash. The newspaper also cited a quote from NHTSA Administrator David Strickland made in April that said the vehicles tested account for 72 percent of auto sales by volume—as opposed to 85 percent of the 2010 model-year vehicles tested.
“The vehicles we are announcing today will be the first ones tested under the Department’s tougher, more rigorous 5-star ratings program,” Secretary Ray LaHood said in a press release. “This new testing program significantly raises the safety bar for all vehicle manufacturers and will provide consumers with a great deal more safety information about the cars and trucks they want to buy.”
Ford F150 MI buyers should know it will be harder for vehicles to receive high safety marks under the standards in the new program, and some models may receive much lower ratings than previously achieved; however, because the ratings system has changed an apples-to-apples comparison of previous safety ratings versus the new ratings will be impossible.
The 55 vehicle lineup is comprised of 24 passenger cars, 20 sport utility vehicles, two vans, and nine pickups. The updated testing program will give additional information on advanced crash avoidance technologies, such as lane departure or frontal-crash warning systems.
The pickup trucks being tested include the 2011:
- Ram 1500 Crew Cab
- Ram 1500 Quad Cab
- Ford F-150 Super Cab
- Ford F-150 Super Crew Cab
- Ford Ranger Extended Cab
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended Cab
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab
- Toyota Tacoma Double Cab
- Toyota Tundra Double Cab
The 24 passenger cars being tested are the 2011:
- BMW 5 Series
- Dodge Caliber
- Ford Fiesta
- Ford Fusion
- Ford Taurus
- Chevrolet Cruze
- Chevrolet Malibu
- Buick Lucerne
- Honda Accord
- Honda Civic
- Hyundai Sonata
- Kia Forte
- Kia Optima
- Mazda Mazda3
- Infiniti M37
- Nissan Altima
- Nissan Sentra
- Nissan Versa
- Toyota Camry
- Toyota Corolla
- Toyota Prius
- Audi A4
- Volkswagen Jetta
2011 mode-year vans being tested are the:
- Honda Odyssey
- Toyota Sienna
And 2011 SUVs will be the:
- Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Ford Edge
- Ford Escape
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- Chevrolet Traverse
- Chevrolet Equinox
- Acura MDX
- Honda CR-V
- Honda Pilot
- Kia Sorento
- Kia Soul
- Nissan Murano
- Nissan Rogue
- Subaru Forester
- Subaru Outback
- Lexus RX350
- Toyota Highlander
- Toyota RAV4
- Toyota Venza
- Volvo XC60
The NHTSA will post the results as they become available on their website. Visit http://www.miautotimes.com for further news coverage as more information becomes available.
MI Auto Times covers all Michigan automotive news all the time, featuring newly released vehicle recall information, relevant Michigan automaker news, vehicle ratings and comparisons, and everything else auto-related Michigan and world readers need to know.
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