The 2011 Dodge Charger undergoing a side impact test.

It turns out that the restyled 2011 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 have changes that are more than skin deep as the Charger and 300 have both been given the Top Safety Pick by the Institute for Highway Safety, their top award. IIHS concluded after their crash testing that, “Chrysler significantly improved the safety performance” of the two sedans for 2011. The previous models did not rank as highly because of weaker side impact protection ratings. The IIHS states that the Charger and 300 are not the only models with a top safety rating as Chrysler now has seven models that get the top honors.

The 2011 Charger now comes with a number of new safety items including electronic stability control (ESC), anti-lock brakes, head restraints for front-seat occupants, and side airbags and as such all of these features help it to become the safest Charger in history. The Charger was restyled in the interior compartment as well and is now a true drivers setup. We think that it’s a huge leap up from the old Caravan style setup.

The new look of the Chrysler 300 brings it into true high-end luxury car status and our best guess is that it’s going to become the darling of customizers everywhere. They jewel headlight setup gives it something of an Audi R8 look; a look that seems to be permeating several other cars in the industry, though the 300 seems to wear it best.