New Headlights Help Mini Hardtop 2 Door Earn Top Safety Pick Award

ARLINGTON, Virginia, June 7 -- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued the following news release:

The 2019 Mini Hardtop 2 Door earns the Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety when equipped with front crash prevention and newly available acceptable-rated headlights.

The Hardtop 2 Door, formerly referred to as the Mini Cooper, has good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. It hasn't been rated for passenger-side small overlap protection.

To earn the 2018 Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle must have good ratings in all IIHS crashworthiness tests except the recently introduced passenger-side test. Other requirements are a front crash prevention system that earns an advanced or superior rating and headlights that earn an acceptable or good rating.

When equipped with optional front crash prevention, the Mini nearly avoided a collision in the IIHS 12 mph track test. In the 25 mph test, the impact speed was reduced by an average of 7 mph. The system, which earns an advanced rating, also includes a forward collision warning component that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria.

The car's new, optional LED headlights earn an acceptable rating -- with or without the addition of high beam assist, a feature that automatically switches between high beams and low beams based on the presence of other vehicles. Vehicles with the feature are awarded extra credit in the ratings system.

The 2018 Hardtop 2 Door also was offered with LED headlights, but that version earned only a marginal rating. The Mini's standard halogen headlights still earn a poor rating.