2013 Dodge Dart’s First Time At Bat and It Scores 5 Stars on the NHTSA
 

Another accolade for the feisty newcomer.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Oct. 19, 2012

2013 Dodge Dart being run through a gauntlet of NHTSA Crash Tests… $15,995 to start and an EPA of 24 to 27 mpgUS city and 34 to 39 mpgUS highway.

And pardon my 3-hours of video production and choice of music to put this together as my library is infinitesimal and I use what I have on hand :(

Chrysler announced just hours ago that its 2013 Dodge Dart has earned a 5-star safety rating in both frontal and side impact crash tests from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The NHTSA crash tests, conducted by a contractor for the NHTSA, reflect the most stringent crash test and measurement protocols of any crash test in the world currently.

The first product born of Chrysler Group alliance with Fiat S.p.A., the Dart was engineered with a class-leading total of more than 60 safety and security features.

And why did the Dodge Dart perform so well? 10 standard air bags is only the start. On the body structure side, the Dart consists of 68 percent high-strength-steel, one of the highest ratios in the industry.

In addition, every Dodge Dart comes equipped with the following standard safety equipment:

• Dual-stage, adaptive, venting air bags for the driver and front-seat passenger
• Front-seat-mounted pelvic and thorax air bags for driver and passenger
• Two rear-seat-mounted torso air bags
• Knee air bags for driver and front-seat passenger
• Two curtain air bags designed to protect front and rear passengers on both sides of the car

The Dart’s accident-avoidance capability includes the very latest safety hardware including:

• Electronic stability control (ESC)
• Electronic roll mitigation
• Traction control
• Standard four-wheel, four-channel anti-lock disc brakes
• Electronic brake-force distribution
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-path detection

NHTSA's 5-star safety rating is just another addition to the Dart’s growing trophy case and while we have only driven it short distances, on the safety front, there are none better (Cruze, Elantra and Civic tie this NHTSA rating) in the C-Segment as of this writing.