Thirteen SUVs were tested
The Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E were two of the four midsize SUVs to receive the highest rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
In total, thirteen mid-size SUVs were tested, with the agency concluding that most offered "inadequate frontal collision protection for rear occupants."
The Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y, Ford Explorer, and Subaru Ascent were the only vehicles of the thirteen tested to earn IIHS "good" ratings, while the Chevrolet Traverse, Toyota Highlander, and Volkswagen Atlas earned "marginal" marks.
Additionally, six out of thirteen midsize SUVs were given bad reviews, including the Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler 4-door, Mazda CX-9, and Nissan Murano.
Of all the vehicles tested, the Mustang Mach-E was the only vehicle with the highest rating in all eleven classes.
While the Model Y earned top scores in ten categories, including the general rating, it only earned an "acceptable" score in the category of rear passenger restraint and passenger mobility.
David Harkey, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), said the 13 vehicles tested did not fail to provide excellent driver protection, "but only a few have extended that level of safety to the back seat."
The testing process involved the use of a Hybrid III doll the size of a small woman or a 12-year-old child, which is placed in the second row behind the driver.
The test uses specific measures that focus on injuries that occur most often to passengers in the back seat.
Good ratings are obtained by not exceeding limits that would indicate an excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest, abdomen, or groin and are recorded by sensors.