Vehicles made by Hyundai, Honda, DaimlerChrysler and Subaru earned top honors in new crash tests of sport utility vehicles, minivans and sedans. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave top honors in new crash tests in front and side-impact protection to vehicles made by Hyundai, Honda, DaimlerChrysler and Subaru, according to an Associated Press report. The Hyundai Sonata sedan and Tucson SUV, Honda Odyssey minivan, Mercedes-Benz ML Class SUV and Subaru B9 Tribeca SUV all earned five stars. The majority of vehicles reviewed received either four or five stars in frontal- and side-impact protection. Other top-performers include the 2006 Volkswagen Passat, Chevrolet Impala, Dodge Dakota, Nissan Armada and Ford Freestar. The Pontiac G6 two-door coupe received the top score in rollover protection. The NHTSA estimates a 9 percent chance of rollover in the vehicle. All other vehicles tested received four out of five stars in rollover testing. The Mitsubishi Lancer was the only vehicle tested to receive two stars in side-impact protection, the report said. Side curtain airbags will be standard in 2007. Lancer received top scores in frontal protection. NHTSA typically conducts new tests on vehicles when they are redesigned.
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