2017 Chevrolet Volt earns Top Safety Pick + award The 2017 Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid car, earns the highest award from IIHS, thanks to good crashworthiness ratings and a top-rated front crash prevention system. September 13, 2016

The 2017 Chevrolet Volt qualifies for Top Safety Pick+, the highest award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The Volt, a plug-in gasoline/electric hybrid that can travel 53 miles without gas on one charge, was redesigned for the 2016 model year. The 2016 model wasn't tested, but the Institute evaluated the 2017 model as part of a testing program of electric vehicles. Results for the other vehicles will be released at a later date.

The Volt earns across-the-board good ratings for crashworthiness. Its performance in the small overlap front test was an improvement over that of the previous generation of Volt, which earned an acceptable rating. The new version had less intrusion into the occupant space.

The small car earns a superior rating for front crash prevention when equipped with optional Front Automatic Braking and Low-Speed Front Automatic Braking. In IIHS track tests, the vehicle avoided collisions at 12 mph and 25 mph. The systems also include forward collision warning that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria.

When equipped with the low-speed system only, the car avoided a collision at 12 mph, and its impact speed was reduced by 5 mph in the 25 mph test. The low-speed system also gets credit for the warning function and earns an advanced rating.

To qualify for the 2016 Top Safety Pick+ award, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests and must have an available front crash prevention system that earns an advanced or superior rating.

For 2017, vehicles also will need good or acceptable headlights in order to qualify for the award. The Volt's standard headlights earn an acceptable rating. When equipped with optional high beam assist, which automatically switches between high beams and low beams based on the presence of other vehicles, the headlight rating improves to good.