The institute noted that automatic braking is standard on the Scion iA, a $16,000 subcompact. It was the only minicar to earn the designation. Only a handful of other vehicles, all of them luxury models, offer automatic braking as a standard feature. Most offer it as an option.
Thirteen vehicles, including five made by General Motors Co., earned the institute’s second-highest rating of “Top Safety Pick.” Among those was the Buick Encore, which earned the highest scores on the institute’s crash tests but doesn’t offer automatic braking.
Rankings from the Insurance Institute — which is funded by the insurance industry — are closely watched by automakers and consumers.