1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
small car / 2-door hatchback
Moderate overlap front: original test
Rating applies to 1998-2010 models built after June 1998
Tested vehicle: 1998 Volkswagen New Beetle 2-door
The Volkswagen New Beetle was reincarnated for the 1998 model year.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has evaluated the crashworthiness of the New Beetle in a 40 mph frontal offset crash test into a deformable barrier. (Note: following discussion about restraint system performance in an initial offset test, Volkswagen changed the size of the driver airbag vent hole. Cars manufactured after June 1998 are equipped with the revised airbag design. 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 Institute conducted a second crash test using a New Beetle equipped with the revised airbag. This evaluation covers both tests. Ratings are based on the second test.
| 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 offset crash test.
The driver's upper interior survival space was maintained well.
Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head brushed the window sill during rebound.
Minimal intrusion into the driver footwell area helped earn the New Beetle's good rating for the performance of the structure/safety cage.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CF98010 |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 9 |
| Left (cm) | 11 |
| Center (cm) | 7 |
| Right (cm) | 3 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 7 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 2 |
| Right (cm) | 1 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | 3 |
| Rearward (cm) | -2 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 2 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CF98010 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 241 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | 15 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.3 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 18 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.25 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 31 |
| Legs | |
| Femur force - left (kN) | 1.8 |
| Femur force - right (kN) | 3.6 |
| Knee displacement - left (mm) | 0 |
| Knee displacement - right (mm) | 5 |
| Maximum tibia index - left | 0.59 |
| Maximum tibia index - right | 0.32 |
| Tibia axial force - left (kN) | 1.8 |
| Tibia axial force - right (kN) | 2.0 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 113 |
| Right | 65 |