2007 Volkswagen New Beetle

small car / 2-door hatchback

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Head restraints & seats

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 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.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
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.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
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

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
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

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2004-10 models

Tested vehicle: 2005 Volkswagen New Beetle GL 2-door with standard front seat-mounted combination head and torso airbags

The Volkswagen New Beetle was reincarnated for the 1998 model year. Front seat-mounted side torso airbags were standard initially and were upgraded to front seat-mounted combination head and torso airbags beginning with 2004 models.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
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 The dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear side window. 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 the door removed, showing the side airbag and damage to the occupant compartment.

Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbag.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear side window.

Technical measurements for this test

Test ID	CES0505
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-0.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CES0505
Head HIC-15	584
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.7
Compression (kN)	0.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	63
Lateral force (kN)	4.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	48
Average deflection (mm)	31
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	6.05
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	1.46
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	3.6
Acetabulum force (kN)	4.2
Combined force (kN)	7.3
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.9
L-M moment (Nm)	104
A-P moment (Nm)	40

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CES0505
Head HIC-15	307
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.4
Compression (kN)	0.9
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	41
Lateral force (kN)	2.3
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	34
Average deflection (mm)	26
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	4.39
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.48
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	0.0
Acetabulum force (kN)	2.4
Combined force (kN)	2.4
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.7
L-M moment (Nm)	187
A-P moment (Nm)	58

About the original side crash test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Seats with adjustable lumbar AHR

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	Seats with adjustable lumbar AHR
Geometry
Backset (mm)	30
Distance below top of head (mm)	48
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g)	8.9
Head contact time (ms)	69
Force rating	1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	88
Max neck tension (N)	530

Seat type: Seats without adjustable lumbar AHR

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	Seats without adjustable lumbar AHR
Geometry
Backset (mm)	35
Distance below top of head (mm)	52
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g)	10.8
Head contact time (ms)	70
Force rating	2
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	128
Max neck tension (N)	578

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.