2009 Pontiac G5

small car / 2-door coupe

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 2007-09 models

Tested vehicle: 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LS 2-door

The Chevrolet Cobalt was introduced in the 2005 model year, and the Pontiac G5 (available only as a 2-door) was introduced in the 2007 model year. The Pontiac G5 was discontinued after the 2009 model year and the Cobalt after the 2010 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 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 reasonably well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head hit the roof rail and head restraint during rebound. Head accelerations from these hits were negligible.

Forces on the lower right leg were high enough to indicate the possibility of injuries.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0907
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 10
Left (cm) 12
Center (cm) 17
Right (cm) 15
Brake pedal (cm) 11
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 7
Right (cm) 6
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 6
Rearward (cm) 5
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 7

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0907
Head
HIC-15 172
Peak gs at hard contact negligible
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.9
Extension bending moment (Nm) 41
Maximum Nij 0.38
Chest maximum compression (mm) 26
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.9
Femur force - right (kN) 0.8
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 0
Maximum tibia index - left 0.59
Maximum tibia index - right 0.88
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 2.1
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.6
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 72
Right 82

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2009 models built after May 2009

Tested vehicle: 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LT 2-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags

The Chevrolet Cobalt was introduced in the 2005 model year, and the Pontiac G5 (available only as a 2-door) was introduced in the 2007 model year. Beginning with 2008 models, side airbags were made standard (they were optional in 2005-07 models). The Pontiac G5 was discontinued after the 2009 model year and the Cobalt after the 2010 model year.

Starting with 2009 models manufactured after May 2009, the side curtain airbags of the 2-door models were modified to improve occupant protection in side-impact crashes (note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door). The tested car was manufactured after the modifications had been made.

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 door removed, showing the side airbag 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.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0913
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -2.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0913
Head HIC-15 635
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.6
Compression (kN) 0.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)
Lateral force (kN)
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 43
Average deflection (mm) 32
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 4.78
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.90
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 4.0
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.2
Combined force (kN) 4.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.3
L-M moment (Nm) 82
A-P moment (Nm) 30

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0913
Head HIC-15 176
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.1
Compression (kN) 0.4
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 39
Lateral force (kN) 1.4
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 34
Average deflection (mm) 28
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.91
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.43
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.6
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.9
Combined force (kN) 3.0
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.9
L-M moment (Nm) 153
A-P moment (Nm) 41

About the original side crash test