The Mazda CX-70 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 Bronco Sport doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.
Both the CX-70 and the Bronco Sport 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, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.
The Mazda CX-70 weighs 1156 to 1731 pounds more than the Ford Bronco Sport. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.
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 Mazda CX-70 is safer than the Bronco Sport:
|
CX-70 |
Bronco Sport |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
104 |
184 |
Neck Tension |
45 lbs. |
335 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Shoulder Deflection |
.28 in |
.98 in |
Shoulder Force |
134 lbs. |
223 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.22 in |
1.42 in |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
POOR |
Pelvis Force |
513 lbs. |
1383 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
18 |
142 |
Neck Tension |
89 lbs. |
178 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Shoulder Deflection |
.39 in |
1.77 in |
Shoulder Force |
156 lbs. |
312 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
.75 in |
1.34 in |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Pelvis Force |
825 lbs. |
1093 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
The Mazda CX-70 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Bronco Sport was last only a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023 but no longer qualifies.