Crash Test Of Entry-Level Hyundai Sedans Shows Drastic Differences Between Markets

Vehicle safety shouldn’t have segregation – life is the most fundamental thing regardless if you live in the United States, Estonia, India, or Madagascar. Unfortunately, the safety standards across different regions and markets around the world are vastly different and Global NCAP decided to demonstrate this with a new crash test. It involves two entry-level Hyundai sedans for different markets and the results are crushing, to say the least.

On the right side in this crash test is a Hyundai Accent – currently the cheapest sedan from the South Korean manufacturer in the United States. On the left is a Hyundai Grand i10, which is the corresponding most affordable Hyundai sedan in Mexico. The Accent is assembled in Mexico, while the Grand i10 comes from Hyundai’s factory in India. 

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So, what exactly happened? The two vehicles collided and the safety experts from the Global NCAP analyzed how each sedan behaved during the impact. The Grand i10’s body shell crumpled heavily to the point where the door area collapsed, the A-pillar bent, and the steering wheel moved back. With just two airbags, the level of protection on the front seats is close to zero with a Global NCAP specialist saying the risk of fatal or serious injuries is very high.

On the other side, the Accent performed significantly better. It is surely not the most advanced vehicle on the market, but its body shell protected the occupants and all six airbags deployed. It is probably safe to say that, in an event of an actual crash between these two vehicles, the passengers in the Accent would simply walk away with minor injuries, while those in the Grand i10 would be heavily injured.

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Why is that happening? Global NCAP says one reason is the different types of regulations that exist in different countries. There’s also a huge difference in consumer priorities from country to country, which means automakers focus on different aspects of their products for the different regions. This can’t be an excuse, however, as life is no doubt the most important thing whenever on the planet you live.