After it went through some structural improvements last November, the 2017 BMW 3-Series now qualifies for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+.
The award, which sees the premium compact four-door earn ‘Good’ ratings in all five crashworthiness tests, including the challenging small overlap, where its predecessor was rated ‘Marginal’, only applies to the sedan version of the 3-Series.
Additionally, the IIHS engineers found the optional front crash prevention system to be ‘Advanced’, the child seat anchors were rated ‘Marginal’, while the best headlights, the curve-adaptive LEDs with high-beam assist, which are part of the lighting package offered at an extra cost, earned an ‘Acceptable’ rating.
Joining the 2017 BMW 3-Series on the test banks was the 2-Series Coupe, another Top Safety Pick+ winner. As with its larger sibling, BMW’s smallest coupe earned ‘Good’ ratings in the small overlap, moderate overlap, side, roof strength and head restraints, and its optional front crash prevention system was noted as ‘Advanced’. The optional curve-adaptive, high-intensity discharge lights were rated ‘Good’, and so were the child seat anchors.
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