2007 Suzuki Forenza Safety Review [ 2008 ]
Suzuki Forenza Safety Review
Safety - 6.2 (Mediocre)
The Suzuki Forenza is equipped with basic safety features. However, its performance in crash tests is less than impressive. Though the Forenza earned 4 out of 5 stars in both frontal and side impacts in government crash tests, the agency classifies the rear seat as "safety concern" in side crash tests.
Don't expect to find many new accident-avoidance features. Instead, the Forenza relies on standard crash protection such as front and seat-mounted side-impact air bags. Although commonplace in larger-class cars, "That's still a rare find in a compact car," notes Motor Week.
Accident Avoidance
The Forenza comes standard with four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes, although ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution is optional. Other standard features that can help avoid an accident include daytime running lights and a tire-pressure-monitoring system. More modern technology such as stability and traction control is not available.
Crash Protection
In the event of an accident, passengers in the 2007 Suzuki Forenza are protected with height-adjustable three-point driver and front-passenger safety belts, as well as three-point rear safety belts. In line with the family-car designation, child seat tether anchors are provided along with rear-door child safety locks. The driver and front passenger have frontal air bags, as well as side-impact air bags. There are no side-curtain air bags for the front or rear passengers, although there are front and rear side-impact door beams meant to dissipate the energy of a crash. The lack of rear protection in the event of a side impact is clearly reflected in safety ratings.
The Forenza earned 4 out of 5 stars in both frontal and side impacts in government crash tests. However, a major safety concern was raised regarding side-impact protection for rear passengers. According to the federal government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), "During the side impact test, the head of the left rear passenger dummy struck the C-pillar, causing a high head acceleration. Head impact events resulting in high accelerations have a higher likelihood of serious head trauma." The independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Forenza a "poor" rating for side-impact protection and an "acceptable" rating for frontal crashes.
