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The FR-V’S body proved to be extremely strong, protecting its adult occupants well. The restraint systems included dual-stage frontal airbags plus front belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters. An intelligent belt reminder is fitted for the driver. Although the children were contained in their restraints in both tests, the protection offered was quite poor. However, safeguards for pedestrians were judged to be good overall.

Front impact
The body suffered minimal deformation of its structure. The dual-stage frontal airbags, belt pre-tensioners and load limiters helped control and limit adult occupants’ forward movement. They also kept impact loads on the driver’s and front passenger’s chests and legs low. However, testers found that hard structures located around the steering column and behind the fascia left the driver and passenger risking knee injuries.

Side impact
The car has impressive protection including seat-mounted thorax airbags and a head-protecting curtain. However, the chest load was penalised because forces were transferred in an unrealistic manner from the dummy's back to the seat, so reducing the measured loads on the chest instrumentation.

Child-protection
Permanent labels, written in five languages, warn against placing a child in a rear-facing restraint opposite an active airbag. These are fixed to both sides of the passenger’s sun visor. The label also includes an instruction to set the centre front seat to the most rearward position when a forward facing child restraint is fitted at this location. The recommended restraints used for both children were forward-facing Britax Romer Duo Plus. These were installed using the car’s ISOFIX anchorages and top tethers. But they provided mixed protection. High loads were recorded on the younger child’s head in the frontal test and both children also experienced high chest loads. Even so, the restraints contained the children well.

Pedestrian protection
Protection was good. The bumper offered cushioning as did the areas of the car’s front where an adult’s and child’s head might most likely strike. However, the bonnet’s leading edge offered only a limited amount of protection.