Top Safety Pick + Top Safety Pick criteria

2014 Toyota Prius

small car / 4-door hatchback

Award applies only to vehicles with optional front crash prevention built after November 2013

2014 Toyota Prius 4-door hatchback

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria Rating
Small overlap front: driver-side
A
Moderate overlap front: original test
G
Side: original test
G
Roof strength
G
Head restraints & seats
G

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Evaluation criteria Rating
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Optional system (built after May 2013)
Advanced

Other available safety features

  • Optional lane departure warning
  • Optional lane departure prevention

Key

GGood
AAcceptable
MMarginal
PPoor
Superior
Advanced
Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Small overlap front: driver-side

Tested vehicle: 2014 Toyota Prius Two 4-door
Rating applies to 2014-15 models built after November 2013

The Toyota Prius was redesigned for the 2010 model year. As in earlier models, the Prius is a hybrid with both a gasoline engine and electric motor. A Prius Plug-in model was introduced in the 2012 model year. This variant also uses a gasoline engine and electric motor, but the motor's lithium-ion battery can be charged by connecting it with an electrical cord to a standard household outlet. The Plug-in is designed to operate primarily in electric mode for 11 miles from a full charge. Beyond this range, it operates in the same manner as the standard Prius.

Beginning with 2014 Prius and Prius Plug-in models, the front structure was modified and the side curtain airbags were lengthened to improve occupant protection in small overlap frontal crashes. Then, starting with 2014 cars built after November 2013, the 15-inch alloy wheels standard on most models were sourced from a single supplier to provide a more controlled crush during the small overlap test. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.)

Evaluation criteria Rating
Overall evaluation
A
Structure and safety cage
M
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
The dummy’s head barely contacted the frontal airbag before sliding off the left side, leaving the head vulnerable to contact with forward structure. Additionally, the seat belt allowed excessive forward excursion of the dummy’s head and torso. The side curtain airbag deployed and had sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with side structure and outside objects.
A
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID CEN1347
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 22
Footrest (cm) 7
Left toepan (cm) 2
Brake pedal (cm) 5
Parking brake (cm) 19
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 1
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column 0
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 13
Upper dash (cm) 14
Lower instrument panel (cm) 17

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID CEN1347
Head
HIC-15 170
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.5
Extension bending moment (Nm) 10
Maximum Nij 0.29
Chest maximum compression (mm) 20
Femur (kN)
Left 2.9
Right 0.3
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 7
Right 0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.52
Right 0.28
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 1.7
Right 1.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 43
Right 85

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Tested vehicle: 2010 Toyota Prius 4-door
Rating applies to 2010-15 models

The Toyota Prius was redesigned for the 2010 model year. As in earlier models, the Prius is a hybrid with both a gasoline engine and electric motor. A Prius Plug-in model was introduced in the 2012 model year. This variant also uses a gasoline engine and electric motor, but the motor's lithium-ion battery can be charged by connecting it with an electrical cord to a standard household outlet. The Plug-in is designed to operate primarily in electric mode for 11 miles from a full charge. Beyond this range, it operates in the same manner as the standard Prius.

Two tests of the Prius were conducted, the first by Toyota of a 2010 Prius and the second by the Institute of a 2012 Prius Plug-in. Ratings are based on both tests and apply to both Prius variants. Vehicle specifications are provided for the 2010 Prius from the Toyota test and photos are provided from the Institute's test of the 2012 Prius Plug-in.

Evaluation criteria Rating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
A
Chest
G
Leg/foot, left
G
Leg/foot, right
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTF0901 CEF1205
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 2 6
Left (cm) 8 9
Center (cm) 12 17
Right (cm) 4 9
Brake pedal (cm) 3 6
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 3 4
Right (cm) 3 3
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) -2 -3
Rearward (cm) 3 0
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 2 2

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTF0901 CEF1205
Head
HIC-15 443 250
Peak gs at hard contact 84 65
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.5 0.9
Extension bending moment (Nm) 16 38
Maximum Nij 0.29 0.35
Chest maximum compression (mm) 29 27
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 1.5 1.0
Femur force - right (kN) 1.3 1.1
Knee displacement - left (mm) 1 1
Knee displacement - right (mm) 1 0
Maximum tibia index - left 0.47 0.38
Maximum tibia index - right 0.54 0.41
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 2.8 1.8
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.7 3.0
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 62 59
Right 53 68

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Tested vehicle: 2010 Toyota Prius 4-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags
Rating applies to 2010-15 models

The Toyota Prius was redesigned for the 2010 model year. As in earlier models, the Prius is a hybrid with both a gasoline engine and electric motor. A Prius Plug-in model was introduced in the 2012 model year. This variant also uses a gasoline engine and electric motor, but the motor's lithium-ion battery can be charged by connecting it with an electrical cord to a standard household outlet. The Plug-in is designed to operate primarily in electric mode for 11 miles from a full charge. Beyond this range, it operates in the same manner as the standard Prius.

Two tests of the Prius were conducted, the first by Toyota of a 2010 Prius and the second by the Institute of a 2012 Prius Plug-in. Ratings are based on both tests and apply to both Prius variants. Vehicle specifications are provided for the 2010 Prius from the Toyota test and photos are provided from the Institute's test of the 2012 Prius Plug-in.

Evaluation criteria Rating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
A
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis/leg
G
Driver head protection
G
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis/leg
G
Rear passenger head protection
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTS0901 CES1206
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -11.0 -11.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTS0901 CES1206
Head HIC-15 562 391
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.0 0.7
Compression (kN) 0.1 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 52 56
Lateral force (kN) 1.9 2.1
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 36 36
Average deflection (mm) 27 23
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 5.50 3.11
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.78 0.51
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.0 1.5
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.9 1.8
Combined force (kN) 2.6 3.1
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.9 1.1
L-M moment (Nm) 191 180
A-P moment (Nm) -118 95

Passenger injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTS0901 CES1206
Head HIC-15 190 134
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.3 0.4
Compression (kN) 1.0 0.7
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 45 44
Lateral force (kN) 1.4 1.3
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 35 37
Average deflection (mm) 23 24
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 4.50 4.44
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.69 0.82
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.7 0.8
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.2 1.9
Combined force (kN) 2.8 2.4
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 1.0 1.5
L-M moment (Nm) 230 231
A-P moment (Nm) 65 -38

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Tested vehicle: 2011 Toyota Prius Two 4-door
Rating applies to 2011-15 models built after December 2010

Rating applies to both the Prius (tested) and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid.

Overall evaluation
G
Curb weight 3,056 lbs
Peak force 12,846 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 4.20

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seats AHR

Overall evaluation
G
Dynamic rating
G
Seat/head restraint geometry
G
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual cloth seats AHR
Geometry
Backset (mm) 37
Distance below top of head (mm) 34
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 12.6
Head contact time (ms) 62
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 1
Max neck tension (N) 499

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

System details

  • optional Pre-Collision System

Package name

  • optional Advanced Technology Package
Evaluation criteria Rating
Overall evaluation
Advanced
Advanced
with optional equipment
Applies to 2013-15 models built after May 2013
  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • In the 12 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 5 mph.
  • In the 25 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 4 mph.

About the original front crash prevention test