Prius Plug-In Gets Lower Crash Rating than Standard Prius

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tests every new vehicle and rates them on a five-star scale for safety in front impact and side impact crashes. it recently got its hands on the new ToyotaToyotaJapan, 1937 > present155 models
4570 photos
10 videos
Prius Plug-InToyota Prius Plug-in HybridJapan, 2011 > present2 photos
and rated the car worse in crashes than the standard car. 

The Prius Plug-In was given a four-star rating by the NHTSA, whereas the standard Prius received a five-star rating. The difference was due to the 120lbs extra that the plug-in hybrid carries. It does not perform as well in a frontal or rollover accident. It performed the same in a side impact accident. 

You can view the videos of the Prius Plug-In in its front and side impact tests below. 

Source: Autoblog