WASHINGTON, May 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced the 2023-2024 Mazda CX-5 earned the highest rating in their newest crash test.

IIHS recently updated its moderate front overlap crash test, where 40 percent of the driver side front end of a vehicle impacts a stationary barrier at 40 mph. The forces in this test are similar to those in a frontal offset crash between two vehicles.

In IIHS's original version of this test, only a driver dummy was used. In 2022, to address the need for better rear occupant protection, a second dummy was added in the second-row seat behind the driver. The updated evaluation incorporates advanced criteria focused on preventing injuries to rear-seat occupants.

Along with most vehicles originally evaluated in this new, challenging test, the 2021-2022 model year Mazda CX-5 received a poor rating. Dedicated to continuous safety advancements and listening to data-driven guidance from valued partners like IIHS, Mazda quickly made improvements. Rear seat belt pretensioners and load limiters were added not just to Mazda's CX-5, but to all new Mazda vehicles, helping to reduce forces to belted rear occupants in the event of a crash.

As a result, the 2023-2024 model year CX-5 has now earned a good rating in the IIHS updated moderate front overlap test. 2024 model year Mazda3 Sedan and Hatchback, CX-30, CX-90, and 2023-2024 model year CX-50 earned the same top, good rating in this test earlier this year.

"Mazda is proud to make these improvements to better protect our customers and their passengers," said Mazda North American President and CEO Tom Donnelly. "We will continue to listen, learn, and evolve, as we execute our safety vision for zero fatalities by 2040."

To learn more about advanced safety at Mazda, please visit the MazdaUSA.com website -

The IIHS is an independent, non-governmental safety-testing organization, funded by the insurance industry. For more information, visit

About Mazda North American Operations

Proudly founded in Hiroshima, Japan, Mazda has a history of sophisticated craftsmanship and innovation, and a purpose to enrich life-in-motion for those it serves. By putting humans at the center of everything it does, Mazda aspires to create uplifting experiences with our vehicles and for people. Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Colombia through approximately 795 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada Inc. in Richmond Hill, Ontario; operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City; and operations in Colombia are managed by Mazda de Colombia in Bogota, Colombia. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at news.mazdausa.com.

Follow @MazdaUSA on social media: Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and Threads.

SOURCE Mazda North American Operations