1999 Suzuki Vitara

small SUV / 4-door SUV

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 1999-2004 models

Tested vehicle: 1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara JLX 4-door

The Suzuki Grand Vitara and Suzuki Vitara were introduced in the 1999 model year, and the Chevrolet Tracker was redesigned the same year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Dummy movement was reasonably well controlled. The driver door bowed outward and, during rebound from the airbag, the dummy moved up and toward the driver door, hitting the roof rail in front of the B-pillar.

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver space was maintained reasonably well.

Blue and white paint above the dummy's head indicates where it hit the roof rail, which had bent sharply as the A-pillar moved rearward.

Footwell intrusion and instrument panel movement were minimal.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CF98020
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 13
Left (cm) 15
Center (cm) 12
Right (cm) 7
Brake pedal (cm) 12
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 5
Right (cm) 2
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 1
Rearward (cm) 0
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 12

Driver injury measures

Test ID CF98020
Head
HIC-15 658
Peak gs at hard contact 56
Neck
Tension (kN) 2.4
Extension bending moment (Nm) 38
Maximum Nij 0.66
Chest maximum compression (mm) 41
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 4.5
Femur force - right (kN) 4.8
Knee displacement - left (mm) 8
Knee displacement - right (mm) 7
Maximum tibia index - left 0.41
Maximum tibia index - right 0.45
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 3.1
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 112
Right 62

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 1999-2004 models

Tested vehicle: 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara 4-door 4wd without side airbags (not available)

The Suzuki Grand Vitara and Suzuki Vitara were introduced in the 1999 model year, and the Chevrolet Tracker was redesigned the same year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
The dummy's head was hit by the intruding barrier, producing high head injury measures.
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection
The dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear passenger door. This pillar is required by federal standard to provide some protection for occupants' heads.

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing damage to the occupant compartment.

Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head being hit by the intruding barrier.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head hit the barrier.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0305
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) 3.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0305
Head HIC-15 958
Neck
Tension (kN) 2.5
Compression (kN) 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 64
Lateral force (kN) 2.1
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 45
Average deflection (mm) 38
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 5.31
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.85
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 3.6
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.6
Combined force (kN) 6.0
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.5
L-M moment (Nm) 94
A-P moment (Nm) -52

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0305
Head HIC-15 550
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.7
Compression (kN) 1.3
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 49
Lateral force (kN) 1.8
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 38
Average deflection (mm) 31
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 5.42
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.79
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.1
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.4
Combined force (kN) 2.3
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.4
L-M moment (Nm) 59
A-P moment (Nm) -59

About the original side crash test