Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V Hybrid deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V Hybrid’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Kicks’ airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.
The CR-V Hybrid has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Kicks doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.
The CR-V Hybrid has standard HondaLink Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Kicks doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.
Both the CR-V Hybrid and the Kicks have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available rear parking sensors.
The Honda CR-V Hybrid weighs 964 to 1081 pounds more than the Nissan Kicks. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda CR-V Hybrid is safer than the Nissan Kicks:
|
CR-V Hybrid |
Kicks |
OVERALL STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
141 |
191 |
Neck Injury Risk |
27% |
32% |
Neck Stress |
175 lbs. |
374 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
65/19 lbs. |
343/312 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
309 |
326 |
Chest Compression |
.6 inches |
.6 inches |
Neck Injury Risk |
37% |
79% |
Neck Stress |
160 lbs. |
392 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
96 lbs. |
138 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
276/243 lbs. |
370/209 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Honda CR-V Hybrid is safer than the Nissan Kicks:
|
CR-V Hybrid |
Kicks |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
71 |
139 |
Chest Movement |
.6 inches |
.9 inches |
Abdominal Force |
142 G’s |
172 G’s |
Hip Force |
310 lbs. |
347 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
143 |
318 |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CR-V Hybrid the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Kicks last would have qualified as a “Top Pick” in 2019.