Chevy Cobalt Has Low Score in Crash Test

General Motors Corp.’s new Chevrolet Cobalt small car received the lowest grade in the latest round of crash and rollover tests by U.S. auto-safety regulators.

The Cobalt was rated two stars, on a scale of one to five, for driver protection in a side crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday. The four-door car got the top grade of five stars for passenger protection in a frontal crash and was ranked four stars for the driver in a frontal crash, rear passengers in a side crash and rollovers.

The U.S. agency tested 19 2005-model cars in the latest tests. None of the other vehicles got a rating in any test of lower than three stars. Toyota Motor Corp.’s four-door Avalon sedan with side air bags did the best, with five-star grades in all four crash tests and a four-star rollover rating.

Three other cars from Detroit-based GM -- the Buick LaCrosse, Pontiac G6 and Chevrolet Malibu -- were among eight to get two or more five-star ratings in the latest tests. The others were Toyota’s Avalon and Camry, Ford Motor Co.’s Mustang and Volvo V70 and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.’s Galant.

All 11 vehicles rated for rollovers in the tests received four stars.