OREANDA-NEWS. May 14, 2015. The midyear 2015 Chevrolet Sonic has been named a 2015 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

“Customer safety is of utmost importance to Chevrolet, across all segments” said Jeff Boyer, vice president, General Motors Global Vehicle Safety. “The Sonic receiving this designation is a testament to that focus.”

The Sonic’s improvements in the Small Overlap Front Crash Protection Test – due to changes in the front-end structure, door sill and door pillar for the midyear 2015 model – were enough to give it a “good” rating. The “good” rating is the IIHS’ highest possible rating in each test. In addition to the Small Overlap Test, good ratings in the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests fulfilled the requirements needed to receive the Top Safety Pick designation for Sonic vehicles built after February 2015.

“With good ratings across the board in all five IIHS crashworthiness evaluations, the improved Sonic delivers a high level of protection among small cars in the most common kinds of crashes,” said IIHS President Adrian Lund.

The Sonic is the only car in its class to feature 10 standard airbags, including knee air bags for the driver and front passenger. Sensors throughout the vehicle determine how many air bags deploy depending on a given crash.  

In a crash, Sonic’s strong body structure is designed to absorb crash energy and provide a protective “safety cage” around occupants. More than 60 percent of the body structure is composed of advanced steels.

Sonic also actively works to avoid crashes with two available safety features. Forward Collision Alert provides alerts to help the driver avoid crashing into a vehicle they are following that is moving or has come to a stop. It also lets the driver know if they are following a vehicle ahead much too closely. Lane Departure Warning provides alerts to help drivers avoid crashes due to unintentionally drifting out of their lane when their turn signal is not activated.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling around 4.8 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive & active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.