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Hyundai Sonata And Tucson Achieve Highest Government Crash Test Rating


March 2006
 Filed under: HYUNDAI Car News | HYUNDAI Headlines

Five-star Safety Crash Performance Joins Segment-Leading Standard Safety Technology

Fountain Valley, Calif. (March 17, 2006) - Hyundai Motor America today announced that the 2006 Hyundai Sonata and Tucson have received the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) top five-star crash test rating for front and side impacts. These results reflect Hyundai's commitment to lead in the standard application of the industry's most effective safety technologies.
"At Hyundai, our first priority is to ensure our customers can avoid an accident, which is why every Sonata and Tucson comes with a sophisticated Electronic Stability Control system," said John Krafcik, vice president, Product Development and Strategic Planning, Hyundai Motor America. "These five-star NHTSA crash test results demonstrate that when an accident is unavoidable, our Hyundai Sonata and Tucson deliver outstanding occupant protection."

The 2006 Tucson SUV and all-new Sonata mid-size sedan, are setting standards for safety in their segments. Tucson was the first vehicle under $20,000 with standard Electronic Stability Control and six airbags while Sonata is the only mid-size sedan with standard Electronic Stability Control and six airbags. Both have received numerous accolades, including Tucson's "Best Value Car Award Winner" from SmartMoney magazine, and Sonata's "Automotive Excellence in Safety Award" from Popular Mechanics.

The Sonata features six airbags-including dual front, front seat-mounted side-impact, and front and rear side curtain airbags-along with 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 devoted 300 new Sonatas to internal crash testing to make sure the Sonata 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 minimize 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.

A total of six airbags are positioned in the Tucson's interior. Dual advanced frontal airbags are complemented by front seat-mounted side-impact airbags and roof-mounted side-curtain airbags that cover both the front and rear rows of seating.

For additional information on the government safety ratings program visit:

Sonata Link: www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/cars/3754.html

Tucson Link: www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/cars/3755.html

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif. is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai cars and sport utility vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced by more than 670 Hyundai dealerships nationwide.

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