These are how thick the pillars are on my 2000 Volvo V70 and

More plastic less metal to reduce costs

I am not sure they test the Pillars like that Anon. I know they do a head on crash and a T bone and a semi head on crash but your A post would really only be test on a roll over. IDK if they do a roll over test.

File: 1995-Oldsmobile-Aurora-Four-Door-Sedan-DN546-U0184[1].jpg (833KB, 1936x924px) Image search: [Google]

833KB, 1936x924px

>Olds Aurora's canopy was so strong it broke the machine GM tried using to crush it
>still has a very reasonably sized A pillar and visibility

Where'd it all go so wrong?

pillars started having airbags in them

>>16551242
>So, how is it that modern cars have to have incredibly thick pillars in order to pass safety ratings?

The car demographics changed a lot since the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. It's no longer passenger cars on the road but lots of trucks, work trucks, transport trucks, and SUV. The passenger car being low gets run over. So manufacturers began to make decks higher on passenger cars to increase safety in collisions with SUV and trucks.

A higher rear deck and higher front deck decreases visibility. The passenger car's roof can't rise too far up or else MPG. The A and C pillars also became more horizontal which increases the strength of the car against crumpling in frontal and rear collisions.

That shit won't stand up to today's standards, especially the overlap tests

>>16551269
I at least know that Volvo has pretty much always tested for rollovers

>>16551949
Not true. There is a crash test done with this year V70 versus a 2015 (or maybe 2014) V70 in an overlap with each other and the older V70 held up in the wreck just about as well as the newer model

WIndshields are super raked back now too.

>>16551992
By this year, I meant the same year as OP's V70

>>16551996
The other anon did too, if he's talking about this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so2wJJPge88
which is a late model V70 ('08) versus a first gen V70.

>>16551242
Lower quality of materials and more weight overall.