Insurance Institute for Highway (IIHS) has conferred the Top Safety Pick+ rating on Ford Motor Co.’s (F) 2013 Ford Focus. Focus is one of the six vehicles in the small car segment to have received IIHS's highest rating.
The Top Safety Pick+ rating is a new rating category for occupant protection that is given after assessing vehicles under five categories – moderate overlap frontal crash, side impact, rollover, seats/head restraints and small overlap frontal crash. Focus received good rating in the first four tests and was assigned acceptable rating in the fifth test.
Safety of occupants is a primary concern for Ford while developing vehicles. Novel techniques are adopted by the automaker to help drivers avoid accidents and ensure safety of the occupants in case of an accident.
Ford gave priority to the safety and security quotients while designing Focus. It features advanced safety technologies and highly protective ultra-high-strength steel structure, which protects the passenger cabin in case of any crash. The Boron Steel used in the vehicle’s body absorbs and redirects crash forces during a collision.
In Feb, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the top vehicle safety rating on 2013 Ford Focus Electric. In the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) testing by NHTSA, Focus obtained a five-star Overall Vehicle Score. NCAP assesses vehicle performance in frontal and side-impact crash tests and resistance to rollover. The 2013 and 2014 Ford Focus sedan and hatchback were also bestowed with a five-star Overall Vehicle Score by NHTSA.
However, Honda Motor Co.’s (HMC) redesigned Civic surpassed Ford’s Focus by receiving a good rating in the small overlap frontal crash test by IIHS. On the other hand, Toyota Motor Corporation’s (TM) Camry sedan and RAV4 crossover and Nissan Motor Co. (NSANY) among others received low rating by IIHS under the new test criteria.
Ford currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
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