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Buick Verano Earns IIHS 2012 Top Safety Pick

Brand’s 2012 lineup earns Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s designation

2011-12-15

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DETROIT – The all-new Buick Verano, with its 10 standard air bags, is an Insurance   Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick for 2012, and completes a sweep of Buick cars and crossovers earning the designation.

General Motors is among industry leaders with a total of 14 IIHS 2012 Top Safety Picks, including 13 models that previously qualified for the 2011 award and were carried over to 2012 because their structure is substantially the same as the institute tested for 2011.

“GM set a goal that every new product would be designed to meet or exceed the third-party metrics that IIHS and others use to communicate crash worthiness to consumers,” said Gay Kent, GM executive director of Vehicle Safety. “We are now seeing the results from that commitment.”

In addition to the Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Enclave, 2011 carryover winners included the Chevrolet Cruze, Sonic, Volt, Equinox, Malibu and Traverse; the Cadillac CTS (sedan) and SRX, and GMC Terrain and Acadia.

The IIHS tests vehicles to determine how well they protect occupants in front and side crash tests, in rollovers via a roof strength test, and simulated rear impacts to evaluate seat and head restraints for protection against neck injuries. The Verano achieved a “good” score in all four types of tests performed and has standard electronic stability control, which the IIHS requires for Top Safety Pick designation.

The Verano is designed to help drivers avoid crashes, while protecting occupants in the event a crash occurs. Standard safety features include:

• Ten air bags:  Driver and front passenger dual-stage frontal and seat-mounted side pelvic/thorax air bags; rear outboard seat-mounted side-impact airbags; head curtain side air bags with rollover protection that cover front and outboard rear seating rows; driver and front passenger knee air bags.
• Rollover sensors which can activate the head curtain side air bags if sensors determine an imminent rollover. In a rollover, the air bags stay inflated longer to provide increased occupant protection.
• StabiliTrak electronic stability control helps the driver maintain control by comparing the path being steered by the driver with the actual response and, when necessary, applying the brakes or adjusting the throttle or a combination of both.
• Disc brakes with ABS to provide sure stops and full-function traction control to make the most of available traction in adverse weather conditions.
• Front safety belt pretensioners to reduce forward movement and load-limiting retractors to help manage forces during a collision
• Collapsible pedal system which allows the pedals to detach during a crash to reduce the risk of leg or ankle injuries.
• OnStar, which features the Automatic Crash Response System that uses GPS and cellular phone technology to automatically call for help in the event of a crash that deploys the air bags.
• Strong body structure to absorb crash energy and provide a protective “safety cage” around occupants. More than 60 percent of the body structure is composed of advanced steels.

“Safety is a top priority in Buick’s product renaissance as evidenced by earning these accolades from IIHS on every model,” Kent said. “Our customers can have confidence in the safety performance of every Buick for sale today.”

Buick is a modern luxury brand offering vehicles with sculpted designs, luxurious interiors with thoughtful personal technologies, along with responsive-yet-efficient performance. Buick is attracting new customers with its portfolio of award-winning models, including the Enclave crossover, LaCrosse sedan, Regal sport sedan and highly anticipated all-new 2012 Buick Verano compact luxury sedan. Buick is the fastest growing major brand in the U.S. and remains a best-selling brand in China, with continuing record growth. Learn more about Buick cars and crossovers at www.buick.com, on Twitter @buick or at www.facebook.com/buick.