The 2010/2011 Hyundai Tucson named “Top Safety Pick” by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Since its big launch in December, the completely redesigned Hyundai Tucson has been well loved by customers and car owners. Today, the 2010 Tucson receives another award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as proof that this compact crossover is indeed doing well in the market. It was honored as a Top Safety Pick with the highest possible rating of “Good”.

The 2010 Tucson went through several crash tests and passed all of them satisfactorily. The tests included the frontal offset crash test, side impact test, rear crash protection, head restraint rating and rollover roof strength test. Cars that received a score of “Good” for the rollover roof strength test have been proven to withstand a force that is at least 4 times as heavy as the car’s own weight. This is a tall order since even the current federal standard is only 1.5 times a car’s own weight.

In addition to the rigorous crash tests, a vehicle may be included in the IIHS Top Safety Pick if it had an Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as part of its standard safety feature. The Hyundai Tucson was the first crossover car that was equipped with this life-saving technology as part of its standard features since the fall of 2004. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety believes that the ESC reduces by as much as 49 percent the risk of fatal single-vehicle crash incidents.

In addition to the ESC, the 2010 Hyundai also features new standard safety technologies, such as the Down Hill rake Control (DC) and the Hillstart Assist Control.

The product planning manager for Tucson, Mike Nino, talks about the award-winning Hyundai. Nino said, “The Tucson was the first vehicle in our lineup that so artfully combined state-of-the-art safety features, design and affordability.”

At a very affordable starting price of $18,995, the Hyundai Tucson provides several standard safety features that include 6 airbags, active front head restraints, 4-wheel disc brakes controlled by an advanced 4-channel ABS with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), traction control, and, of course, the previously mentioned ESC.

Nino added, “The IIHS’ Top Safety Pick confirms what we have known all along and that is the Tucson is an attractive compact crossover vehicle and both a safety and value leader in the market.”
A total of six airbags are positioned in the Hyundai Tucson’s interior. Dual advanced frontal airbags are complemented by front seat-mounted side-impact airbags and roof-mounted side-curtain airbags with new rollover sensors that cover both the front and rear seat rows. The combination of side and curtain airbags, which help protect the head and body during side impacts, can reduce fatalities by more than 37 percent for car drivers and 52 percent for SUV drivers, according to the IIHS.

Another special safety feature is the Tucson’s high-tensile steel front sub-frame that reduces crash forces that typically reach the passenger compartment. Also, the front side members were enlarged and straightened to better absorb crash impact. Furthermore, all its doors have internal guard beams to protect all the passengers from harm during a side-impact crash.