Genesis, the luxury arm of Hyundai, recently introduced its first SUV. The cleverly named GV80 is a large, three-row vehicle. And it looks great, even if the design feels somewhat influenced by the Mercedes-Benz GLS. Love or hate SUVs, the larger three-row is a great way to enter this market, as demonstrated by the Volvo XC90 some years ago.
With every new vehicle, an automaker will try to focus on some special feature that makes its vehicle standout from others. Genesis is certainly doing that, as the press release mentions a fancy HVAC system, screens, road-noise cancellation, fancy air seats, and of course, the latest in active safety features. And then there’s a casual mention of ten airbags.
One of these airbags is quite unique to the GV80. It’s located in the center console, as opposed to the circumference of the passenger area. This airbag is designed to prevent the driver from hitting the passenger, and vice-versa, during a side impact. Yes, seat belts are supposed to prevent such movement of occupants. But road car seat belts have only three points, which allow for comfort but also lateral movement of the upper body in a side impact. It’s possible for both front occupants to be properly seat-belted and still collide with each other during an impact.
That is a pretty ingenious safety feature. Head-butting your friend or loved one isn’t fun no matter what the circumstance. And this airbag aims to prevent that.
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