2014 Buick Encore
small SUV / 4-door SUV
Small overlap front: driver-side
Rating applies to 2013-14 models
Tested vehicle: 2013 Buick Encore 4-door 4wd
The Buick Encore was introduced in the 2013 model year. Two tests of the Encore were conducted because the onboard (car interior) cameras failed during the first test. As a result, the restraints and dummy kinematics rating is based primarily on the second test. Injury and structural ratings are based on both tests.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics In the second test, the dummy’s head barely contacted the frontal airbag before sliding off the left side as the steering column moved 18 cm to the right, leaving the head vulnerable to contact with forward side structure and resulting in little airbag cushioning for the chest. (In the first test, the steering column moved 23 cm to the right.) Additionally, the seat belt allowed excessive forward excursion of the dummy’s head and torso. The side curtain airbag deployed too late during the second crash and does not have sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with forward side structure and outside objects. The side torso airbag deployed in the first test but not in the second test. |
Action shot taken during the second of two small overlap frontal crash tests.
The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space wasn't maintained well (second test shown).
During the second crash, the dummy's head barely contacted the frontal airbag before sliding off to the left as the steering column moved to the right. The seat belt allowed the dummy to move too far forward, as is evident from the gap between the seat back and the dummy's torso.
Door hinge pillar and instrument panel intrusion was extensive and contributed to a high risk of injuries to the left knee and left lower leg and a moderate risk to the left thigh (second test shown).
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CEN1308 | CEN1311 |
|---|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | ||
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 32 | 21 |
| Footrest (cm) | 11 | 16 |
| Left toepan (cm) | 7 | 12 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 11 | 9 |
| Parking brake (cm) | ||
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 9 | 6 |
| Upper occupant compartment | ||
| Steering column | 1 | 3 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 31 | 23 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 26 | 19 |
| Lower instrument panel (cm) | 22 | 17 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CEN1308 | CEN1311 |
|---|---|---|
| Head | ||
| HIC-15 | 76 | 101 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact | no contact |
| Neck | ||
| Tension (kN) | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 30 | 29 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.34 | 0.44 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 20 | 21 |
| Femur (kN) | ||
| Left | 7.1 | 4.7 |
| Right | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | ||
| Left | 21 | 19 |
| Right | 2 | 2 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | ||
| Left | 11 | 3 |
| Right | 0 | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | ||
| Left | 1.57 | 1.05 |
| Right | 0.48 | 0.62 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | ||
| Left | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Right | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | ||
| Left | 89 | 50 |
| Right | 51 | 58 |
Moderate overlap front: original test
Rating applies to 2013-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2013 Buick Encore 4-door 4wd
The Buick Encore was introduced in the 2013 model year and the Chevrolet Trax was introduced in the 2015 model year.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Leg/foot, left | |
| Leg/foot, right | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Action shot taken during the moderate overlap frontal crash test.
The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from hitting hard structures during rebound by the side curtain airbag.
Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal, and all leg and foot injury measures were low. The deployed knee airbag is resting on the dummy's lower legs.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CEF1303 |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 3 |
| Left (cm) | 6 |
| Center (cm) | 9 |
| Right (cm) | 6 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 11 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 0 |
| Right (cm) | 0 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | -2 |
| Rearward (cm) | -7 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 0 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CEF1303 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 194 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.2 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 12 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.25 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 29 |
| Legs | |
| Femur force - left (kN) | 0.2 |
| Femur force - right (kN) | 0.6 |
| Knee displacement - left (mm) | 1 |
| Knee displacement - right (mm) | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index - left | 0.19 |
| Maximum tibia index - right | 0.30 |
| Tibia axial force - left (kN) | 1.5 |
| Tibia axial force - right (kN) | 3.3 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 36 |
| Right | 87 |
Side: original test
Rating applies to 2013-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2013 Buick Encore 4-door 4wd with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front and rear seat-mounted torso airbags
The Buick Encore was introduced in the 2013 model year and the Chevrolet Trax was introduced in the 2015 model year.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Driver head protection | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Rear passenger head protection | |
View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.
View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side curtain airbag.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CES1301 |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -15.5 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CES1301 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 189 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.2 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.5 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 31 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.5 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 31 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 27 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 3.08 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.29 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 1.5 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.8 |
| Combined force (kN) | 3.1 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.2 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 155 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | -22 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CES1301 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 148 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.3 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.3 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 16 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.0 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 22 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 18 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 1.87 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.17 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 0.2 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.2 |
| Combined force (kN) | 1.4 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.3 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 53 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | 11 |
Side: updated test
Rating applies to 2013-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2021 Buick Encore Preferred 4-door 4wd
The Buick Encore was introduced in the 2013 model year and the Chevrolet Trax was introduced in the 2015 model year.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis | |
| Driver head protection | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis | |
| Rear passenger head protection | |
View of the vehicle just after the crash test.
View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbags.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbags.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CES2005 |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -18.5 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CES2005 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 188 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.0 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.3 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 43 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.6 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 43 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 41 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 3.32 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.66 |
| Pelvis | |
| Combined force (kN) | 3.8 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CES2005 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 126 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.3 |
| Compression (kN) | 1.1 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 14 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 0.9 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 34 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 27 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.62 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.44 |
| Pelvis | |
| Combined force (kN) | 3.7 |
Roof strength
Rating applies to 2013-22 models
Tested vehicle: 2013 Buick Encore 4-door 4wd
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Curb weight | 3,327 lbs |
| Peak force | 15,414 lbs |
| Strength-to-weight ratio | 4.63 |
Head restraints & seats
Seat type: Power leather seats
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | |
| Seat/head restraint geometry |
| Seat type | Power leather seats |
|---|---|
| Geometry | |
| Backset (mm) | 4 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | 10 |
| Seat design parameters | |
| Pass/fail | Pass |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 11.3 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 56 |
| Force rating | 1 |
| Neck forces | |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 27 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 371 |
About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.