In a significant development in the field of car safety in India, Hyundai’s Tucson has just undergone Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) crash testing, scoring full marks and taking home five stars. This is a new dawn for Hyundai: The first time an SUV in its line-up made the grade under Indian standards of testing safety.
A Review of the Hyundai Tucson’s Safety Performance
Previously, the Tucson had been tested by Latin NCAP securing with three stars. However, when tested under Indian standards of both adult and child occupant protection, the Tucson SUV achieved full marks: a wealthier 5-star rating. This puts the Tucson alongside the Hyundai Verna, the first vehicle in the stable to be honored at Bharat NCAP level with top honors.
The test covered a range of safety aspects, including frontal offset, side impact and pole tests. In the frontal offset test, the Tucson’s passenger compartment provided very strong protection for the occupants although it was unstable at this speed according to norm behavior of cars scoring four stars had little ability to carry on. The driver received good protection for his chest and foot areas, a slightly lower rating in the neck (the injury risk was rated ‘poor’), belly/knee regions were not so well taken care of.
In the side pole impact test, the dummy stayed stable when the vehicle crashed into its side. The Tucson demonstrated that it is indeed well-qualified for safety.
Key Safety Features of the Hyundai Tucson
The Tucson comes equipped with a whole host of safety features designed specifically to care for both the driver and passengers. Standard safety equipment includes:
Six airbags–front seats knee bags which offer the biggest gain on damage $
ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution)–for better stopping performance
Seatbelt pretensioners, load limiters and seatbelt reminder–to get the best possiblerestraint in a collision
ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), which are available on the highest specification, bring further protection with facilities such as automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning etc
Powertrain and Pricing
The Hyundai Tucson is now available in India with powertrain options: a 2.0-litre petrol engine or 2.0-litre diesel. The petrol unit puts 154 bhp of power out on tap and 192 Nm peak torque, while the diesel powerplant makes a meaty 184 bhp and 416 Nm respectively.Right now only the diesel model is offered here; it features a refinement promoting AWD (All-Wheel Drive) system that delivers extra traction for those drivers who enjoy getting off road from time to time.
Pricing for the Hyundai Tucson varies from Rs 34.52 lakh and Rs 43.51 lakh (on the road, Mumbai), putting it in a category as premium brand offering SUVs.
Conclusion
With its superb results in Bharat NCAP tests, the Hyundai Tucson is confirmed as one of the safest SUVs on sale in India today (for adult drivers both front and rear protection was rated ‘good’). The addition of Advanced Safety Features combined with powerful engine choices means that this car will not be overlooked by anyone looking for fun plus a comfortable drive should they happen to live here.
