The IIHS tests vehicles for crash test worthiness and gives out designations for the best performance for Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+. Automakers highly covet those designations as safety is among the top reasons that car buyers choose a certain make or model. The IIHS has announced that the 2020 Chevrolet Equinox is a Top Safety Pick.
To replicate the model that won the Top Safety Pick award, buyers do have to choose the version fitted with the available HID projector headlights. The headlights earned an acceptable rating. The base headlamps and available LED projectors only earn a marginal rating.
IIHS wrote, “The SUV’s standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system earns a superior rating. In Institute tests, it avoided a collision in the 12 mph test and reduced its impact speed by an average of 22 mph in the 25 mph. The Equinox earns an advanced rating for pedestrian front crash prevention, though that rating doesn’t factor into 2019 award criteria.”