The itty-bitty 2012 Fiat 500 is proof yet again that size doesn’t matter (Hey, that must be what it tells J-Lo!), as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the 2012 500 its “Top Safety Pick” award. The little Italian showed “good performance in front, side, rollover, and rear impact evaluations, and for having electronic stability control as standard equipment.”
However, the award only applies to 500s built after July 2011 because the driver’s seat structure was modified to improve occupant protection in both frontal and rear-end crashes. Good safety tip. Only buy the new ones, not the old ones. Got it.
The 500, along with the Ford Fiesta, are the only minicars to earn the “Top Safety Pick” designation.