Redesigned Toyota Avalon Earns Highest Accolade From IIHS

ARLINGTON, Virginia, July 26 -- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued the following news release:

The redesigned Toyota Avalon (http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/toyota/avalon-4-door-sedan/2019) qualifies for the highest award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety when equipped with good-rated headlights.

To earn the 2018 Top Safety Pick+ award, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests and an acceptable or good rating in the passenger-side small overlap test. It also needs available front crash prevention that earns an advanced or superior rating and available good-rated headlights.

The Avalon, a large car, earns an acceptable rating in the passenger-side test. The structure held up well, but the dummy's head barely contacted the front airbag before sliding off.

Like most of Toyota's current fleet, the Avalon has standard front crash prevention. The system avoided collisions in IIHS track tests at 12 and 25 mph. It also has a forward collision warning component that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria.

The LED projector headlights on the Limited and Touring trims earn a good rating. They provide good visibility in most scenarios, though the low beams create some glare for drivers of oncoming vehicles.

The less expensive XSE and XLE trims come with LED reflector headlights that provide mostly inadequate visibility and earn a poor rating.