Design improvements lift Hyundai Tucson safety rating

Media Release: 11 January 2016

Design improvements lift Hyundai Tucson safety rating

Design and production changes have lifted the safety performance of the Hyundai Tucson medium SUV which has earned top billing from the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP).

In November it was announced the 2015 Tucson received a disappointing 4 star ANCAP safety rating after poor performance in the frontal offset crash test. It was found the driver’s leg and feet were only marginally protected due to poor structural integrity in the footwell.

Results of the same test showed a slight risk of serious chest injury to the driver in the event of a crash.

Hyundai immediately pledged to take steps to make improvements and a subsequent crash test conducted by ANCAP reveals an improved result with a 5 star safety rating awarded to all Tucson variants built from 17 November 2015 in South Korea and 16 December 2015 in the Czech Republic.

Tucson models built prior to those dates either have a 4 star safety rating (2.0 litre GDi variant) or remain unrated.

AA Motoring Services General Manager Stella Stocks says Hyundai’s reaction to the first crash test proves the manufacturer is taking safety seriously.

“No car maker wants a vehicle on the market with less than 5 stars. The SUV segment is highly competitive and Hyundai clearly wants to continue being a strong contender,” Ms Stocks says.

“The changes made by Hyundai have significantly improved the Tucson’s performance in the frontal offset crash and this reduces the chance of injury to occupants.”

Ms Stocks notes that buyers should check the date of manufacture to avoid any confusion of the ANCAP safety rating.

ANCAP is supported by all Australian motoring clubs, the New Zealand Automobile Association, the Australian Government, the New Zealand Government, Australian state and territory governments, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission, NRMA Insurance and the FIA Foundation.

The full list of ANCAP’s vehicle safety ratings, other vehicle safety information and the specifications of the rated vehicles are available online at aa.co.nz or rightcar.govt.nz.

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