FIAT 500L REAR IMPACT PERFORMANCE IN EURO NCAP AND IIHS ASSESSMENTS

Abstract

This paper examines Fiat 500L rear-impact performance by combining published Euro NCAP and IIHS assessments with video-based kinematic reanalysis of official Euro NCAP footage. Euro NCAP reported 2.3 points and marginal whiplash protection for the 2012 European variant, whereas IIHS rated the seat and head restraint of the United States model range as good. The ratings are not directly interchangeable because the programmes used different pulses, seat specifications, measured quantities and scoring rules. To supplement the published results, WhiplashApp was used as the motion-analysis tool. Two user-defined head-region points were tracked by Lucas-Kanade optical flow, and the smoothed trajectories were used to calculate angle of head, angular velocity and angular acceleration. The resulting curves identify motion reversal, extension-rebound and intervals of rapid head rotation. These observations complement the IIHS values for favourable restraint geometry and 56 ms head contact and help explain how a good IIHS rating can coexist with the marginal Euro NCAP result. The study demonstrates the value of traceable video kinematics for interpreting published automotive test results. WhiplashApp provides an effective tool for this workflow and a suitable basis for further whiplash and video-based biomechanical analyses with additional synchronised measurement channels.