The 2015 Lexus RC is the safest car in its class. The distinction came no less from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) where the vehicle made it to the top of the organization’s Top Safety Pick+ rating (TSP+) released last week.
With that accolade in tuck, the 2015 Lexus RC is making history as the only coupe in its class to earn the motoring industry’s highest safety rating, besting the likes of the BMW 4-series, Mercedes C-series, and the Audi S5/RS5, according to a report by Torque News.
Although there is still long ways to go before the 2015 Lexus RC officially catches up with the competition, considering that it is relatively new in the market, it is starting to make a name for itself and come out ahead of the pack in the more important categories, with safety being the most crucial of them all.
In topping the IIHS safety rating, the 2015 Lexus RC completed and passed three major hurdles.
It successfully passed the conventional crash tests, which were pretty much a breeze since every car currently being introduced can do so.
The second hurdle, which many vehicles find difficult to pass, is to earn an ‘acceptable’ or ‘good’ rating on the IIHS’ small frontal overlap test. The test simulates the hitting of a utility pole with the front corner of the car. Most vehicles cannot earn an ‘acceptable’ rating in this test. Only the 2015 Lexus RC got a rating of ‘good’ in its class.
Under the same test, the Mercedes C-class and the BMW 3-Series were rated ‘marginal’ while the Audi A4 rated ‘poor’ which all threw them out of contention for the safety award.
And the third and most important hurdle of them all is the ability of a vehicle to either have an advanced or superior forward crash prevention system. The 2015 Lexus RC happen to have the advanced forward crash prevention system enabling it to earn a TSP+ rating.
There is no other premium rear, or all-wheel drive sports coupe that has the level of safety in the US market as the 2015 Lexus RC.
In addition to the 2015 Lexus RC, other vehicles that made it to the IIHS’ safety rating list are the Mercedes E-class coupe, the Acura RLX sedan, and the BMW 2-Series coupe.
A Japanese coupe with style
While most of the styling looks of the 2015 Lexus RC is all Japanese, there is an element to it that makes it appear like a European sports sedan, notes Autoweek.
The 2015 Lexus RC was reportedly developed and launched to compete well in the high-end coupe market which is at the moment dominated by the BMW 4-series, the Audi A5/S5 family, and the Cadillac ATS coupe.
In addition to its remarkable stylings punctuated by the aggressive front end, the 2015 Lexus RC boasts of a sleek profile that complements its superb interiors in terms of overall dashboard shape, carbon fiber trim, and extra comfortable supportive seats, cites Autoweek.