The 2009 Infiniti EX35 Earns “Top Safety Pick” Award

Automotive awards can be helpful shopping tools, but when it comes to evaluating vehicle safety, one award is more about giving you peace of mind than a trophy to the carmaker. It’s called the “Top Safety Pick” – and the Infiniti EX35 has earned it.

It’s hard to say how many people choose a vehicle because it won a particular award. To assess a vehicle’s safety, though, one of the best places to start is the list of “Top Safety Picks” awarded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). According to the IIHS, “Top Safety Pick” winners – including the 2009 Infiniti EX35 – “provide superior overall crash protection among the vehicles in their class.” Those are strong words.

“Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results,” says Institute President Adrian Lund. “The ‘Top Safety Pick’ designation is intended to help people find the safest choices.”

To qualify as a “Top Safety Pick,” a vehicle must earn the highest rating (“Good”) in the Institute’s front, side and rear crash tests. It must also be equipped as standard with an electronic stability control system.

The IIHS conducts a 40-mph frontal-offset crash test to judge a vehicle’s frontal crashworthiness. In this test, the vehicle impacts an obstacle on one side, meaning that only a portion of its frontal body structure must absorb the entire force of the impact. The frontal-offset test is tougher than the federal government’s head-on test in which the impact’s force is spread through the vehicle’s whole frontal structure. A frontal-offset test is more indicative of a real-world accident.

In the IIHS side-impact test, a barrier is rammed into a vehicle at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup truck or SUV, which typically have higher bumpers than a standard passenger car and can therefore cause greater damage. The IIHS test assesses both head protection and the vehicle’s structural performance during the impact. The rear crash test measures how the head restraints help prevent whiplash injuries.

Exemplary crash protection is designed into the Infiniti EX35’s Zone Body Construction. A reinforced steel-ribbed structure helps maintain the integrity of the passenger compartment while front and rear crumple zones help absorb and redirect crash energy.

The “Top Safety Pick” also recognizes a vehicle’s ability to help the driver avoid potential crashes. Starting in 2007, only vehicles equipped with electronic stability control as standard equipment could be eligible for the award. IIHS research revealed that such systems could significantly reduce the risk of driver involvement in crashes in the first place.

According to IIHS findings, electronic stability control lowers the risk of a fatal single-vehicle crash by about half, and it reduces the risk of a fatal rollover crash by as much as 80 percent. In the EX35, like all Infiniti models, the electronic stability control is called Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC). If a potential slide is detected, VDC can “correct” the EX35’s course by manipulating braking and engine power – often without the driver even realizing it.

Based on the Infiniti G Sport sedan, the 2009 Infiniti EX35 is a compact, five-passenger luxury crossover utility vehicle available in base and Journey trim levels. Pricing for the 2009 EX35 begins at an MSRP of $33,800. Fun driving is assured by the 297-hp V6 engine and a five-speed automatic transmission that can be shifted manually. The advanced Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system is available as an option.

For added safety, the EX35 Journey can be equipped with the Around View Monitor, which uses four different cameras to provide an overhead image of the vehicle and its surroundings for additional peace of mind when parking. The Around View Monitor is included with the BOSE and Navigation Package.

The Lane Departure Warning and Prevention System (part of the Technology Package) can audibly warn the driver if the vehicle veers out of the lane and can also take corrective action via the stability control system – helping to “nudge” the vehicle back in the lane.

“The EX35 is a leader in its class for state-of-the-art safety,” says IIHS President Lund. We invite you to test drive this safety leader.

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