Watch the New Ford Bronco Ace the IIHS's Toughest Crash Test
Current and prospective owners of the new Ford Bronco will be pleased to know the rugged SUV got high scores in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's most difficult crash test, the small front overlap.
The IIHS released video on Wednesday of a small overlap crash test performed on a four-door Bronco, seen above. The truck's deflection on impact and the strength of the driver "safety cell" indicates good potential survivability. Front and side curtain airbags (standard in the Bronco but not available in its nearest competitor, the Jeep Wrangler) prevented the crash dummy's head from making contact with any interior hard points. And unlike the Jeep Wrangler, which performed this test in 2020, the Bronco didn't roll over.
The 2021 Bronco received a "Good" rating—the highest rating available from the IIHS—in every crashworthiness category save for the restraints and seats section, where it earned an "Average" score. It also earned a score of "Marginal" (one notch above "Poor") in the lower leg/foot section on driver injury. "Intrusion of the footrest and left portion of the toe pan contributed to a possible risk of injury to the left lower leg," the IIHS explained. The agency gave the Bronco's headlights a Marginal rating, stating visibility through curves was inadequate. We also couldn't help but notice the side-view mirror glass making its way into the cabin in the above crash video, a clear projectile risk for any occupants (though that's partly because the IIHS performs these tests with the windows rolled down).
Would you choose a Ford Bronco over the Wrangler after seeing this crash test? Let us know in the comments below.
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