The 2013 model-year Chevrolet Malibu Eco has drawn double honors for safety, including a 5-Star overall vehicle score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a 2012 Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Both are the highest ratings given.

The IIHS tests vehicles to determine how well they protect occupants in front and side crash tests, in rollovers via a roof strength test, and in simulated rear impacts to evaluate seat and head restraints for protection against neck injuries. The Malibu Eco drew a "good" score in all four types of tests performed. The vehicle has standard electronic stability control, which the IIHS requires for Top Safety Pick designation.

To qualify for the 5-Star overall vehicle score, the Malibu Eco was tested under NHTSA’s revised New Car Assessment Program. The overall score is based on frontal and side crash tests, in addition to evaluation for rollover resistance. Under the rating system, performances in three test segments are combined mathematically into an "overall vehicle score."

"With the Malibu Eco, Chevrolet has earned seven 2012 Top Safety Pick awards," said IIHS President Adrian Lund. "The IIHS and NHTSA results demonstrate GM's commitment to state-of-the-art crash protection."

Under this methodology, the Chevy Malibu Eco achieved an overall vehicle score of five stars – the highest rating possible – even though some individual ratings, such as rollover, resulted in four stars.

The 2013 Malibu will be sold in nearly 100 markets on six continents. It was designed and engineered to achieve top safety ratings and to meet pedestrian protection standards where such requirements exist, General Motors said. Last November, GM announced that the Malibu also earned a top five-star rating by the European New Car Assessment Program, known as Euro NCAP.

GM said it designs its new products to perform well in the metrics IIHS and NHTSA use to measure crashworthiness. There are 11 GM 2012 models with a 5-Star overall vehicle NCAP score, and the Malibu Eco is among the first 2013 GM models to receive this rating. There are now 15 GM vehicles that have an IIHS 2012 Top Safety Pick designation.

"We are now seeing the results from our commitment to design the highest-rated vehicles in the world in safety performance," said Gay Kent, GM executive director of vehicle safety. "Earning these top safety ratings demonstrates the strength of the Malibu’s advanced structure, overall crashworthiness and effectiveness of the vehicle’s state-of-the-art safety technologies."