The BMW 5-Series and the Hyundai Sonata were the only models awarded overall 5-star ratings by NHTSA under revised 2011 testing.

While it might seem like just about every carmaker and model, these days, is promoting a 5-star crash rating, things are about to get tougher – a lot tougher, as the industry is learning.  Only two models from two makes have met the even more stringent 5-star target under the newly-revised federal safety evaluations.

For the coming 2011 model-year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is rating 55 new models, including 20 SUVs, 24 passenger cars, two vans and nine pickup trucks.  So far, only two have been able to achieve an overall 5-star rating: the 2011 BMW 5-Series and the 2011 Hyundai Sonata.

That’s a potential significant advantage in a market that has become increasingly sensitive to safety-related issues where makers compete to show who has the most airbags and the latest computer-controlled safety systems.

Covering The Beat!

“The performance of the new 5 Series in these tough new tests reflects BMW’s long-held belief in a holistic approach to vehicle safety that places equal emphasis on active and passive safety,” Jim O’Donnell, President of BMW of North America, said in response to the NHTSA announcement.

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