These luxury cars fared poorly in new crash test

Most midsize luxury cars—including the Mercedes-Benz C-Class—performed poorly in a new frontal crash test developed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the US. The new test is designed to replicate what happens when a car strikes another car or a fixed object like a tree or utility pole. The test strikes 25 per cent of a car's front end into a rigid barrier at 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour. Marginal or poor ratings indicate the cars wouldn't protect occupants very well in a real-world crash, while good scores are also frequently touted in car ads.

Acura TSX: 'Marginal' rating
The Acura TSX is an entry-level car by the luxury division of Japan's Honda, mainly sold in the US and Canada, priced between $30,000 and $39,000. The car got a ‘marginal' rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test, which has been developed after years of analyzing real-world frontal crashes, which kill more than 10,000 people annually in the US.

BMW 3 Series: 'Marginal' rating
One of German car maker BMW's best-selling models, the car surprisingly fared a ‘marginal' rating in the new crash test. It is available in the sedan, coupe and convertible forms and is priced in a range of $34,000-59,000. Insurance Institute said that in three cars—the BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen—the seat belts spooled out too much after the crash, causing the crash-test dummies to strike hard surfaces.
Mercedes C-Class: 'Poor' Rating
The C-class, a compact executive car produced by Mercedes Benz, fared a ‘poor' rating in the test, which saw the driver's space severely compromised, while the seat belt allowed excessive forward excursion of the dummy driver's head and torso. “Neither the side curtain nor the side torso airbags deployed, leaving the dummy's head and chest vulnerable to contact with side structure and outside objects,” the test result added. The vehicle is priced in a range of $35,000 to $60,000.
Lincoln MKZ and Volkswagen CC: 'Marginal' rating
Lincoln's MKZ and Volkswagen's CC were two other cars that scored a ‘marginal' rating. While the MKZ is a mid-sized luxury sedan, the CC is a four-door coupé version of the Passat. Named after the famous US president, Lincoln has a long history of providing cars for US presidents. This version is available from a starting price of $36,000. The CC, meanwhile, is priced $30,000 upwards. According to the institute, the CC's door was completely sheared off during the test. The Lincoln, meanwhile, saw its driver space seriously compromised and the dummy driver's head and chest completely missed the frontal airbag.

Lexus ES 250: 'Poor' rating
The ES 250 is a series of luxury/compact executive cars by the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota. According to Insurance Institute, the dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space wasn't maintained well. Moreover, intrusion into the occupant compartment was extensive. The sedan is available from $34,000. Toyota has accepted the results, and called it a challenge to design better vehicles.
Audi A4: 'Poor' rating
The Audi A4 is a line of compact executive cars, available as sedan, wagon and convertible, by Germany-based Audi, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. In the crash test, the side curtain airbag deployed and had sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with side structure and outside objects. However, the side torso airbag did not deploy, leaving the chest vulnerable to contact with side structure. Moreover, the driver door opened during the crash, which shouldn't happen because the driver could be partly or completely ejected from the vehicle.