Winners of the 2013 award must earn good ratings for occupant protection in 4 of 5 evaluations and no less than acceptable in the fifth test. 

The XC90 gained the award for good performance in each of the institute's crashworthiness evaluations, including the small overlap front test.

The XC90's structural performance was good in the small overlap front test, and the driver's space was maintained well. Injury measures recorded on the dummy indicate low risk of any significant injuries in a crash of this severity. The dummy's head made good contact with the front airbag, which stayed in position during the crash. Both the side torso airbag and the side curtain airbag deployed.

The institute added the small overlap test to its lineup of vehicle safety evaluations last year. It replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object like a tree or a utility pole. In the test, 25% of a vehicle's front end on the driver side strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph. A 50th percentile male Hybrid III dummy is belted in the driver seat.

The IIHS added that while many vehicles have had to undergo significant structural changes to earn good ratings in the small overlap test, the XC90 has had the same basic platform since 2003.

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