Does size matter when it comes to safety? MINI Hardtop 2 Door bags IIHS safety award for criteria that include ‘nearly avoiding’ a collision, BMW Group says.

Photo: BMW Group media website.

When it comes to factors that affect crashworthiness as well as lighting and driver assist technologies, size might not matter so much. The 2019 MINI Hardtop 2-Door, which weighs in at 2,690 pounds with automatic transmission and sports a wheelbase of 98.2 inches, just brought home a 2018 Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The award applies to the 2019 MINI Hardtop 2-Door when equipped with Active Driving Assistant technology and LED headlights, a newly available option for the model.

According to the BMW group, the model earned a “good” rating across several crashworthiness criteria, including “driver-side small-overlap front,” “moderate overlap front,” “side roof strength,” and “head restraint” tests.

The announcement from BMW said the MINI’s Active Driving Assistant technology succeeded in nearly avoiding a collision in a 12 mph track test, also reducing impact speed by 7 mph in a 25 mph test.

Optional LED headlights, which come with high-beam and low-beam assist, enhance cornering illumination, and automatically dim high beams in the presence of oncoming traffic, earned an “acceptable” rating, the BMW Group said.

To qualify for the 2018 Top Safety Pick award, a “Good” rating was required in all IIHS crashworthiness tests except the passenger-side test, which was introduced recently. Other requirements include earning an “Advanced” or “Superior” rating for a front-crash-prevention system, and an “Acceptable” or “Good” rating for headlights.

“The MINI Hardtop 2 Door is the most recognizable premium small car on the road today and represents the core of our brand,” said Thomas Felbermair, Vice President MINI of the Americas. “We are excited to earn the IIHS Top Safety Pick award, which further validates that MINI offers impressive levels of safety and fun in a small package!”

For some perspective, however, the New York Daily News last week characterized this year’s round of IIHS testing as “disappointing” overall, with “only 21 vehicles” earning the highest designation “Top Safety Pick+.” The MINI was one of 47 vehicles that scored in the next tier down by earning the Top Safety Pick Award.