BMW X1 Snags Top IIHS Safety Award

2016 BMW X1 (Credit: BMW)

After American automakers were embarrassed by crash test results on some famous modern muscle, BMW has been able to make a recovery with the X1. The second generation of the little crossover earned a Top Safety Pick Plus award from IIHS.

You probably don’t remember that the first-gen X1 did well on all IIHS crash tests, except for the notorious small overlap. Before, the crash test dummy’s foot was crushed and trapped, which is exactly what you don’t want to see happen.

BMW went back to the drawing board and obviously figured out the problem. IIHS said that intrusion into the cabin was minimal enough that it felt the driver wouldn’t have suffered any serious injury, like having its foot broken in five spots.

So if you’re in the market for a safe smaller vehicle and you want something with a rear liftgate, the X1 could be a good option.

Under the new rating system from IIHS, a vehicle has to come with a forward crash prevention system to even be considered for the Top Safety Pick Plus award. With the optional tech installed on the BMW X1, the crossover grabbed the mid-grade rating for that test, which was good enough. Most likely, IIHS will increase that standard too, and BMW will have to upgrade the tech if it wants to keep up the image of “the ultimate driving machine.”