The Corolla Hatchback has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats (WIL), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WIL system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.
The Corolla Hatchback has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.
The Corolla Hatchback’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the Corolla Hatchback and the Eclipse Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Corolla Hatchback is safer than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:
|
Corolla Hatchback |
Eclipse Cross |
OVERALL STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
187 |
248 |
Neck Injury Risk |
27% |
38.7% |
Neck Stress |
243 lbs. |
424 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
Chest Compression |
.6 inches |
.7 inches |
Neck Injury Risk |
27% |
39.7% |
Neck Stress |
165 lbs. |
182 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
301/156 lbs. |
331/198 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Corolla Hatchback is safer than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:
|
Corolla Hatchback |
Eclipse Cross |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
92 |
145 |
Abdominal Force |
129 lbs. |
154 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
137 |
162 |
Spine Acceleration |
43 G’s |
55 G’s |
Hip Force |
367 lbs. |
464 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
12 inches |
14 inches |
HIC |
239 |
358 |
Spine Acceleration |
32 G’s |
44 G’s |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Corolla Hatchback is much safer than the Eclipse Cross:
|
Corolla Hatchback |
Eclipse Cross |
Overall Evaluation |
ACCEPTABLE |
POOR |
Structure |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
99 |
155 |
Neck Tension |
201 lbs. |
268 lbs. |
Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
POOR |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.61 in |
2.28 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
7 MPH |
10 MPH |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
150 |
166 |
Neck Compression |
89 lbs. |
134 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
Shoulder Deflection |
1.38 in |
1.73 in |
Shoulder Force |
312 lbs. |
402 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.1 in |
2.01 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
7 MPH |
11 MPH |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Corolla Hatchback is 8% less likely to roll over than the Eclipse Cross.
For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Corolla Hatchback the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 64 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Eclipse Cross does not qualify as a “Top Safety Pick.”