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This popular Ford SUV is new and improved! In the recently updated Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) side test, the 2021 to 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E received a high score. While this updated test has kept some brand-new vehicles from getting the Top Safety Pick award, the newest Mach-E wasn’t phased.

The 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E is an IIHS Top Safety Pick winner

The 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E snagged a new IIHS award
The 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E | Erin Kirkland/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The IIHS announced that the 2021-22 Ford Mustang Mach-E earned a high score in one of its newer tests. According to the safety group, the new test uses a 4,200-pound barrier traveling at a high rate of speed to crash into the side of the vehicle. According to the press release, that high speed is 37 mph. The old test only used a 3,300-pound barrier traveling at 31 mph.

While a good rating in the original test was enough to qualify for the Top Safety Pick or Safety Pick Plus award, that won’t be the case next year. 2023 vehicles will need a “good” or “acceptable” rating in the test to be a Top Safety Pick or TSP+ award.

The new updated side test didn’t trip up the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E

The 2022 Mach-E impressed the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in all six categories. The first tests are the small overlap front: driver-side, small overlap front: passenger-side. Followed by the moderate overlap front, original side test, side updated test, roof strength, and head restraints/seat tests.

Another area that has been tripping up some new cars and SUVs is the headlights. For the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Premium, GT, and First Edition received better LED projector headlights. The low beams performed well and offered good visibility, as did the high beams. Updated headlights led to the highest score in this category.

The Select and California Route 1 trim use LED reflector headlights that did not perform well. Visibility was fair with the low beams and suitable for the high beams. This earned a moderate score.

The Mach-E is in good company with other IIHS winners

The new side impact test has tripped up a few new SUVs. Joining the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E with a Top Safety Pick award are the 2022 Ford Edge, Kia Sorento, and the much-loved Kia Telluride SUV. Only the trim levels with better headlights qualified, too. SUVs like the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade missed out on the Top Safety Pick Plus award because of the updated test.

Most midsize SUVs have an advantage in these safety tests simply due to design. While the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E is an electric SUV, it still lands in the midsize SUV category, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Either way, the Mach-E should see more vehicles joining it soon as more testing continues.

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Amanda Cline

Amanda Cline is an avid fan of Formula 1 and joined MotorBiscuit in 2021. A Southwest Floridian, she easily and often finds automotive events to attend in the Tampa, Orlando, and Miami areas.
Amanda is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where she earned a Bachelor’s in English Literature and a Master’s in Technical Communication. Combining her editorial and digital media expertise, Amanda served as a content creator for FanSided and now provides our readers with a variety of automotive subject matter like pickup trucks and SUVs, including valuable consumer advice.

Amanda closely follows many F1 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. Her all-time favorite author is Shel Silverstein.