Frontal-Impact Tests, which is what most people initially think of when asked about a crash test. These are usually impacts upon a solid concrete wall at a specified speed, but can also be vehicle-vehicle tests. SUV’s have been singled out in these tests for a while, due to the high ride-height that they often have.
Offset Tests, in which only part of the front of the car impacts with a barrier (vehicle). These are important, as impact forces (approximately) remain the same as with a frontal impact test, but a smaller fraction of the car is required to absorb all of the force. These tests are often realized by cars turning into oncoming traffic. In the U.S., this type of testing is done by the IIHS and EuroNCAP
Side-Impact Tests: these forms of accidents have a very significant likelihood of fatality, as cars don’t have a significant crumple zone to absorb the impact forces before an occupant is injured.
Roll-over Tests which tests a car’s ability (specifically the pillars holding the roof) to support itself in a dynamic impact. More recently dynamic rollover tests have been proposed as opposed to static crush testing (video).
Roadside hardware crash tests are used to ensure crash barriers and crash cushions will protect vehicle occupants from roadside hazards, and also to ensure that guard rails, sign posts, light poles and similar appurtenances do not pose an undue hazard to vehicle occupants.
Old versus New designs, often an old and big car against a small and new car Ford Fiesta Vs Ford Sierra,Renault Modus Vs Volvo 940, or two different generations of the same car model. These tests are performed to show the advancements in crashworthiness

The figure would cover both western and eastern Europe, Mr Dhawan said. The carmaker plans to scale up production later and expand exports to the Middle East and elsewhere.
Maruti exported an older version of the Alto to the Netherlands, Italy, the UK and other markets until 2006, but sold only about 100,000 units over seven years. MG Rover, before going into receivership in 2005, briefly sold Tata’s Indica model rebadged as CityRover.
Neither Nissan nor Suzuki are discussing prices for their cars, which will face European import duties offsetting some of the cost benefits of producing in India.
Nissan described the Pixo as “an affordable small, eco-friendly city car at a time when this type of vehicle is in demand”. The cars will launch at a time when Europeans are shifting into smaller cars and India ‘s fledgling motor industry is buying distressed carmaking assets in Europe.

Argentum Motors, an Indian company that in 2007 bought Daewoo’s former manufacturing plants in India for about $200m, will in Paris show a prototype hybrid electric car.
Argentum recently bought Heuliez, a bankrupt French automotive design and engineering firm, and is exploring the possibility of building electric cars for the European market.
“We feel the market for these vehicles is first in Europe before India ,” Ajay Singh, the company’s chairman, told the FT this month.
Tata, which this year bought UK premium brands Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor for $2.3bn, plans to participate in a capital increase of Pininfarina, the Italian design house.
India ‘s other fledgling carmakers, including Mahindra & Mahindra, are scouting Europe’s troubled automotive design and engineering sector for companies that would allow them to build expertise and couple their existing front-office relationships with their own low-cost manufacturing operations.
Maruti, 54 per cent owned by Japan’s Suzuki, describes the Alto as a “green car for European customers”, with carbon dioxide emissions of just 109 grams per kilometer.
However, Indian-made cars could face scepticism from some European consumers. Some early Chinese-made cars exported to Europe failed crash tests and were later withdrawn.
The Alto and Pixo will be sold under the Suzuki and Nissan brands respectively, so few car buyers will know they were made in India.
Mr Dhawan said the Alto had a 4-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating. Five stars is the highest ranking.