Most Midsize SUVs Fail Tough Crash Tests

Most of the midsize SUVs did not fare well in a new small overlap front-crash test conducted by an influential U.S. safety group, in yet another jolt to the industry already shaken by safety concerns.

Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain from the General Motors Co were the only vehicles to earn the highest rating of "good" in the test, according to results released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on Tuesday.

Out of the nine participating models, Toyota Motor Corp's Highlander was rated "acceptable" while rest of the group earned "marginal" or "poor" ratings.

The worst performers in the test were Mazda Motor Corp's CX-9 and Honda Motor Co's Pilot, which sustained "significant structural collapse," IIHS said.

The small overlap test was developed after research showed that about 25 percent of serious injuries and deaths occurring in frontal crashes were in small impacts, such as the front of a vehicle clipping the front of an oncoming car or striking a tree or pole.

According to IIHS, such a test is more challenging than the long-standing moderate overlap test conducted by the Institute since 1995.