USA - FIAT 500X records highest possible score in every IIHS Crash-worthiness test, so its one of the safest.

• 2016 Fiat 500X records highest possible score in every IIHS crashworthiness test
• Available Forward Collision Warning-Plus driver-assist feature qualifies Fiat 500X for elite rating; system boasts unique application of sensor fusion
• All-new 500X starts at $20,000; Forward Collision Warning-Plus available in vehicle configurations that start under $29,000
• Stylish 500X offers more than 70 available safety and security features

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) today named the all-new 2016 Fiat 500X small crossover a 2015 Top Safety Pick+, its highest rating.

IIHS testing simulates:

• a side impact with a large SUV or pickup truck
• a moderate-offset frontal impact
• a small-offset frontal impact
• roof-crush consistent with a rollover
• a rear collision capable of inducing whiplash

In each test, the all-new Fiat 500X recorded the highest possible score of “good.” Bolstering these results is the availability of Forward Collision Warning-Plus. Only vehicles equipped with such driver-assist technology may qualify for Top Safety Pick+ designation.

“With the all-new 500X, we help make it possible not only for customers to arrive safely at their destinations, but to do so with style,” says Timothy Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America.

The chic crossover, which starts at $20,000, blends Italian design flair with engaging driving dynamics that are synonymous with the FIAT brand. More significantly, it incorporates extensive use of high-strength steel, which is engineered to manage crash energy and to help minimize cabin intrusion in event of a collision.

The Fiat 500X further benefits from seven air bags that come as standard equipment. These include seat-mounted side pelvic-thorax air bags and full-length side-curtain air bags.

Elevating the 500X to Top Safety Pick+ status is a unique sensor-fusion strategy that is the hallmark of Forward Collision Warning-Plus. Available in the Easy trim level and upward, a 500X equipped with the feature starts at $28,600.

Forward Collision Warning-Plus combines camera and radar technologies and when both agree that a frontal collision is imminent, the system activates. Activation begins with audible and visual warnings. If the driver does not respond, brake application occurs autonomously to slow the vehicle before impact.

“Delivering such features for less than $30,000 in a vehicle segment not known for such sophistication is clear evidence of our commitment to the democratization of advanced safety technology,” says Scott Kunselman, Senior Vice President – Vehicle Safety and Regulatory Compliance.

Additional driver-assist technologies are among the more than 70 available safety and security features (see attached PDF) that make the all-new 500X stand out in its segment. Among these are:

• LaneSense Departure Warning-Plus, which leverages the vehicle’s electronic power steering (EPS) to alert the driver with steering-wheel torque inputs that also accommodate course correction
• Hill-Start Assist, which helps hold a vehicle on an incline if the driver’s foot is momentarily removed from the brake pedal