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IIHS: Drivers safer than passengers in frontal crash test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced a small overlap frontal crash test in 2012 that replicates what happens when the front corner of a car impacts another object. In the test, vehicles travel at a speed of 40 mph toward a five-foot-tall barrier with 25 percent of the total width of the car striking the barrier on the driver side. One would assume that vehicles with good small overlap front ratings would protect the driver and the passenger equally. But a recent study from the IIHS proves that passengers aren't as protected as drivers. The IIHS conducted the test on seven small SUVs with good driver-side small overlap ratings and only one of the vehicles, the 2016 Hyundai Tucson, performed well enough to be given a good rating. The other SUVs performance ranged from poor to acceptable. After reviewing the results of the test, the IIHS is deliberating whether it should institute a passenger-side rating as part of its Top Safety Pick criteria. "This is an important aspect of occupant protection that needs more attention," states Becky Mueller, lead author of the study and an IIHS senior research engineer. "More than 1,600 right-front passengers died in frontal crashes in 2014." Since the small overlap front test was introduced, 13 automakers have made structural changes to 97 vehicles with roughly three-quarters earning a good rating after the adjustments. The IIHS' test for frontal ratings is completed with a dummy in the driver's seat and with a barrier overlapping the driver's side. Which makes sense, as passengers aren't always riding in a vehicle. "It's not surprising that automakers would focus their initial efforts to improve small overlap protection on the side of the vehicle that we conduct the tests on," states David Zuby, IIHS executive vice president and chief research officer. "In fact, we encouraged them to do that in the short term if it mean they could quickly make driver-side improvements to more vehicles. As time goes by, though, we would hope they ensure similar levels of protection on both sides." As the IIHS' test revealed, there's a massive difference in safety between the two front seats. Increase passenger safety, according to Mueller, would require automakers to strengthen the occupant compartment by using a different type of material or by making it thicker.

2017 Hyundai Santa Fe and Sport reveal facelifts in Chicago

Hyundai needs crossovers. With the national average cost of gas at just $1.71 as of this writing, (short-sighted) consumers are charging back to dealers demanding new high riders. That's bad news for car-heavy manufacturers like Hyundai, and good news for brands that have embraced CUVs, like Subaru. Consider this: Hyundai sold 181,725 crossovers from its roughly 800 dealers in 2015. In that same period, the Subaru Forester alone racked up 175,192 sales, and that's with a dealership network 25 percent smaller than Hyundai's. At the 2016 Chicago Auto Show, Hyundai is showing off updated versions of its two-tier Santa Fe range. There's a new, more pronounced and rectangular grille; sharper, less organic headlights, and LED running lamps in front. But there are also a bunch of new gizmos and gadgets that Hyundai expects to elevate the Santa Fe's safety rating. A backup camera is now standard and you can now snag adaptive cruise control with a stop-start mode. There's also a raft of new safety features, including lane departure warning, automatic high beam assist, and auto emergency braking with pedestrian detection. It's partially because of that last item that Hyundai thinks the new Santa Fe will score an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating. The company hasn't explained what changes will allow it to improve on 2016's Moderate rating in the small-overlap test, though. But if Hyundai is correct, it'd be a serious coup – the Santa Fe hasn't been honored by the IIHS since its redesign for model year 2013. It'd also put the Santa Fe in a rarefied class of ultra-safe mid-size CUVs. Only the Honda Pilot and Nissan Murano have scored TSP+ ratings. Prices increase by $400 on naturally aspirated models and $450 for the top-of-the-line turbocharged trims. The new Santa Fe is arriving at dealers now. View 12 Photos 2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE LINE-UP FEATURES ENHANCED DESIGN, INFOTAINMENT, LED LIGHTING, CONVENIENCE AND SAFETY Comprehensive Product Improvements Combine to make New Models even more Appealing in every Facet of the Ownership Experience CHICAGO, Feb. 11, 2016 – The award-winning Hyundai Santa Fe lineup continues to dramatically improve for the 2017 model year. The improvements span everything from fresh exterior design and LED lighting signatures to additional infotainment, convenience and safety technologies and new Drive Mode selection with Sport, Eco and Normal settings.

How the Koreans are cracking the luxury market

South Korea's two largest automotive brands are no longer the same companies they were when they first entered the world stage.
Anyone who visits Seoul after a few years absence is likely going to be in for a shock. What was, not that long ago, a decidedly third-world city is today a thriving, sprawling metropolis increasingly on a par with the world's most modern cities.