Small overlap front: driver-side
Rating applies to 2020-24 models
Tested vehicle: 2021 Buick Encore GX Select 4-door 4wd
The Buick Encore GX was introduced in the 2020 model year as a replacement for the Buick Encore, while the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer returns after an 11-year absence from the market as a replacement for the Chevrolet Trax. Two small overlap frontal tests of the Encore GX were conducted, one by the Institute and the other by General Motors as part of frontal crash test verification. Ratings are based on both tests, but the vehicle specifications shown below are based on the Institute’s test.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Action shot taken during the small overlap frontal crash test.
The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.
The frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury.
The driver's space was maintained well, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | VTN2105 | CEN2104 |
|---|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | ||
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 6 | 5 |
| Footrest (cm) | 5 | 2 |
| Left toepan (cm) | 2 | 1 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 3 | 2 |
| Parking brake (cm) | ||
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 1 | 1 |
| Upper occupant compartment | ||
| Steering column | 0 | 0 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 6 | 4 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 6 | 2 |
| Lower instrument panel (cm) | 5 | 2 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | VTN2105 | CEN2104 |
|---|---|---|
| Head | ||
| HIC-15 | 154 | 122 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact | no contact |
| Neck | ||
| Tension (kN) | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 19 | 12 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.21 | 0.20 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 20 | 24 |
| Femur (kN) | ||
| Left | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Right | 1.0 | 0.2 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | ||
| Left | 1 | 0 |
| Right | 1 | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | ||
| Left | 0 | 0 |
| Right | 0 | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | ||
| Left | 0.44 | 0.66 |
| Right | 0.42 | 0.50 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | ||
| Left | 1.8 | 1.6 |
| Right | 1.3 | 1.8 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | ||
| Left | 54 | 50 |
| Right | 112 | 40 |
Small overlap front: passenger-side
Rating applies to 2020-24 models
Tested vehicle: 2021 Buick Encore GX Essence 4-door 4wd
The Buick Encore GX was introduced in the 2020 model year as a replacement for the Buick Encore, while the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer returns after an 11-year absence from the market as a replacement for the Chevrolet Trax. Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2021 Encore GX conducted by General Motors as part of frontal crash test verification.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Hip/thigh | |
| Lower leg/foot | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side
| Test ID | VTP2109 |
|---|---|
| Lower occupant compartment | |
| Lower hinge pillar max (cm) | 8 |
| Footrest (cm) | 4 |
| Right toepan (cm) | 0 |
| Center toepan (cm) | 2 |
| Rocker panel lateral average (cm) | 0 |
| Upper occupant compartment | |
| Center dash (cm) | 5 |
| Upper hinge pillar max (cm) | 7 |
| Upper dash (cm) | 7 |
| Right lower dash (cm) | 6 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | VTP2109 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 243 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.7 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 14 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.18 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 16 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 1.9 |
| Right | 3.0 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 4 |
| Right | 10 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.75 |
| Right | 0.86 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 2.7 |
| Right | 2.8 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 50 |
| Right | 38 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | VTP2109 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 168 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.1 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 11 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.20 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 22 |
| Femur (kN) | |
| Left | 0.0 |
| Right | 0.1 |
| Knee displacement (mm) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%) | |
| Left | 0 |
| Right | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index | |
| Left | 0.26 |
| Right | 0.25 |
| Tibia axial force (kN) | |
| Left | 0.5 |
| Right | 0.8 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 40 |
| Right | 55 |
How the passenger-side small overlap front test is conducted
Moderate overlap front: original test
Rating applies to 2020-24 models
Tested vehicle: 2021 Buick Encore GX Select 4-door 4wd
The Buick Encore GX was introduced in the 2020 model year as a replacement for the Buick Encore, while the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer returns after an 11-year absence from the market as a replacement for the Chevrolet Trax. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2021 Encore GX conducted by General Motors as part of frontal crash test verification.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Leg/foot, left | |
| Leg/foot, right | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | VTF2104 |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 3 |
| Left (cm) | 3 |
| Center (cm) | 4 |
| Right (cm) | 9 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 10 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 0 |
| Right (cm) | 0 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | -2 |
| Rearward (cm) | 9 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 0 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | VTF2104 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 180 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | no contact |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.2 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 9 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.22 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 23 |
| Legs | |
| Femur force - left (kN) | 0.2 |
| Femur force - right (kN) | 1.9 |
| Knee displacement - left (mm) | 0 |
| Knee displacement - right (mm) | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index - left | 0.36 |
| Maximum tibia index - right | 0.46 |
| Tibia axial force - left (kN) | 1.7 |
| Tibia axial force - right (kN) | 5.6 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 64 |
| Right | 129 |
Side: original test
Rating applies to 2020-24 models
Tested vehicle: 2020 Buick Encore GX Essence 4-door 4wd
The Buick Encore GX was introduced in the 2020 model year as a replacement for the Buick Encore, while the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer returns after an 11-year absence from the market as a replacement for the Chevrolet Trax. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2021 Encore GX conducted by General Motors as part of side crash test verification.
| 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 | |
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | VTS2104 |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -18.0 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | VTS2104 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 268 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.1 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.2 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 35 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.7 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 36 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 32 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 4.59 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.68 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 1.2 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.7 |
| Combined force (kN) | 2.8 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.9 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 171 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | 16 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | VTS2104 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 173 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.6 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.1 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 23 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.1 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 28 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 26 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.28 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.28 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 0.5 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.6 |
| Combined force (kN) | 2.0 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.8 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 70 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | 20 |