To Buick, size should have little to do with vehicle safety. Its smallest sedan, the Verano, recently earned a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which means that every model in the current Buick lineup is a 2012 IIHS Top Safety Pick.
To earn the Top Safety Pick designation, a vehicle must score a rating of “good” in four separate tests, including frontal impact, side impact, rollover and rear impact head and neck protection. In addition, the vehicle must include electronic stability control, which is now required by the federal government in all 2012 cars, SUVs, pickups and minivans.
The Buick Verano was developed with what GM describes as a “comprehensive safety strategy,” and the sedan includes features such as 10 standard air bags, OnStar, StabiliTrak electronic stability control and a body structure composed of over 60-percent high strength steel.
It’s not just the Verano that emphasizes safety. The Regal, in GS form, includes Brembo brakes that can stop the car from 70 mph in only 160 feet. The LaCrosse sedan comes with six standard airbags, and some Buick models can be equipped with options like rear-view cameras, ultrasonic park assist and blind spot warning systems.
The 2013 Buick Enclave crossover will also include an industry-first front center airbag, which deploys between driver and front-seat passenger in the event of a side impact.