The Infiniti QX50 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The XC40 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.
Both the QX50 and the XC40 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.
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 Infiniti QX50 is safer than the Volvo XC40:
|
QX50 |
XC40 |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Abdominal Force |
151 lbs. |
156 lbs. |
Hip Force |
306 lbs. |
320 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
73 |
119 |
Spine Acceleration |
25 G’s |
48 G’s |
Hip Force |
227 lbs. |
755 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
339 lbs. |
411 lbs. |
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 Infiniti QX50 is safer than the XC40:
|
QX50 |
XC40 |
Overall Evaluation |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Neck Tension |
178 lbs. |
312 lbs. |
Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
Shoulder Deflection |
1.06 in |
1.46 in |
Shoulder Force |
178 lbs. |
290 lbs. |
Torso Deflection Rate |
9 MPH |
9 MPH |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
57 |
387 |
Neck Tension |
45 lbs. |
268 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Shoulder Deflection |
.67 in |
1.1 in |
Shoulder Force |
201 lbs. |
290 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.42 in |
1.5 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
7 MPH |
10 MPH |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Pelvis Force |
402 lbs. |
692 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |