The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tested another batch of new or redesigned-for-2013 vehicles and out of the four newbies, only one was awarded the agency’s highest score.
The 2013 Volkswagen Beetle received an overall rating of five stars. The coupe earned four stars in frontal testing, five stars in side-crash testing and a four-star score in rollover tests; the convertible model has not yet been tested. The three others recently tested earned four stars overall: The plug-in Ford C-Max Energi, the tiny Toyota Prius c hybrid and front- and all-wheel drive versions of the Toyota Sienna minivan.
NHTSA plans to crash-test 54 model-year 2013 vehicles — 33 passenger cars, 16 SUVs, one van and four pickup trucks. NHTSA says that the crash-testing will account for about 85% of the volume of new vehicles sold for the year.
