Hyundai Sonata, Tucson achieve highest US safety rating

The 2006 Hyundai Sonata and Tucson have received the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) top five-star crash test rating for front and side impacts.

Hyundai Motor Co. said in a statement, issued locally yesterday, that the results reflect the company's commitment to lead in the standard application of the industry's most effective safety technologies.

"Hyundai quality is our first priority and this is reflected in the safety of our cars," Kim Sang-Kwon, Hyundai's vice chairman of engineering, said. "These five-star NHTSA crash test results demonstrate that our Hyundai Sonata and Tucson are second to none in terms of safety."

The 2006 Tucson SUV and all-new Sonata mid-size saloon, are setting standards for safety in their segments in the US market. The Tucson was the first vehicle under $20,000 with standard electronic stability control (ESC) and six airbags. The Sonata is the only mid-size saloon with standard ESC and six airbags.

Both have received numerous accolades, including the Tucson's 'Best Value Car Award Winner' from SmartMoney magazine, and the Sonata's 'Automotive Excellence in Safety Award' from Popular Mechanics.

The Sonata also features active front seat head restraints. Other passive safety features include shingle-style rear seat head restraints for improved visibility, three-point seatbelts for all seating positions, front seat seatbelt pretensioners and force limiters, and a rear-seat LATCH system for child seats.

Hyundai used 300 new Sonatas to conduct internal crash testing to make sure it attained NHTSA's five-star rating in both front and side collisions.

The Tucson is engineered to provide its passengers with multiple defensive layers. The steel unibody has designed-in crumple zones and a high-tensile front sub-frame that are designed to work together to reduce the forces that reach the passenger compartment.

To help resist intrusion, four structural rings encircle the body. All four doors also have internal guard beams to protect passengers in a side-impact collision.

The Tucson's passenger-restraint systems help minimise injury. Three-point belts are provided at all five seating positions, and the front seatbelts have pretensioners and load limiters. There are two outboard rear LATCH child-seat anchors.