Highest possible ratings achieved in all Insurance Institute safety tests
DETROIT – The 2011 Buick Enclave today received a Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for all models built after January this year.
“Car buyers shopping for safety get a big head start with vehicles earning our Top Safety Pick designation,” said Institute president Adrian Lund. “This award highlights the elite group of vehicles that earn top Institute safety ratings across the board, and that have electronic stability control.”
Vehicles named Top Safety Picks must achieve the highest possible IIHS ratings of “Good” in front, side, rear and rollover crash protection tests in addition to having electronic stability control.
The Enclave previously earned a 5-star overall vehicle score under the revised New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The 2011 Enclave has a comprehensive safety system designed to protect passengers – before, during and after a crash. Before a crash, active safety features like StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover mitigation and Panic Brake Assist help drivers avoid crashes. When an emergency braking maneuver is detected, the Panic Brake Assist system automatically develops additional brake pressure to more quickly engage antilock brakes, potentially reducing overall stopping distance by eliminating the delay that can occur if a driver does not brake hard enough and/or soon enough.
Technologies like rollover sensing, six standard air bags, front seat safety belt pretensioners and load limiters help protect occupants during a crash. Pretensioners reduce safety belt slack, and load limiters moderate the load of the safety belt on the occupant in a crash. Both safety belt technologies work together to help keep occupants in place during a crash.
All Buicks, including Enclave, feature the safety and security of OnStar technology. After a crash, OnStar’s Automatic Crash Response alerts first responders to get medical assistance on site as quickly as possible.
“The Enclave’s Top Safety Pick Award clearly demonstrates our commitment to protecting customers and their families,” said Jeff Boyer, General Motors executive director of vehicle safety. “We stand behind Enclave and the variety of active and passive safety technologies it offers – all engineered with precision to meet the high expectations of our customers.”
After posting its strongest sales in history in 2010, the Enclave is on its way to another strong year, with retail sales up 45 percent in February compared to the same period in 2010. Total sales for the luxury crossover were up by 38 percent for the month, outselling the Acura MDX and RDX combined.