The 2015 Chevrolet Trax, General Motors’ small sport utility vehicle, won the top safety award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States on Feb. 24, GM Korea said in a press release.

“The Trax received a good rating in all test categories, including the small-overlap test,” the company said. 

The small-overlap test is a stringent test that replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object.

The IIHS also has reaffirmed the world-class safety of Buick Encore, Chevrolet Trax’s sibling.

“Chevrolet Trax and Buick Encor embody GM Korea’s commitment to develop vehicles that will exceed the expectations of GM customers worldwide,” Greg Tyus, GM Korea vice president of Engineering, said.

According to the company, safety has been maximized in the Trax through a sturdy body structure, 66 percent of which is made of high-strength steel.

The Trax has adopted the “body frame integral system,” which connects the upper frame and infrastructure of the chassis.

In addition, the SUV comes with six air bags ― driver, passenger and side curtain ― as standard.

Besides IIHS, safety of Chevrolet’s small SUV, debuted in 2013, has been recognized by safety test agencies or organizations in the world, including the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Korean New Car Assessment Program, Euro NCAP and Australasian NCAP.

By Seo Jee-yeon (jyseo@heraldcorp.com)