Hyundai is taking its car development process to the next level with the introduction of its first hydrogen car, the 2019 Hyundai Nexo. The model recently underwent crash testing conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and it passed with flying colors.
Considering that the Hyundai Nexo is the automaker’s first production hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to be tested by the independent organization, the car made big waves for not exploding during the crash tests and earning a Top Safety Pick+ recognition from the institution.
Hydrogen vehicles are still not very common in the United States which is why the cars are produced at very limited quantities and are exclusively available in California. Among the most notable hydrogen vehicles in the market today are the Hyundai Nexo, Toyota Mirai, and Honda Clarity.
Given that the cars are not mass produced, the IIHS would not normally conduct crash tests for the vehicle. But Hyundai nominated the model for testing and the organization saw it as an opportunity to conduct tests on a fuel cell vehicle for the first time.
The crash tests for the 2019 Hyundai Nexo followed the same scale used by the IIHS for other vehicles–Poor, Marginal, Acceptable, and Good. The Nexo SUV score Good in all six tests, including the driver-side small overlap front crash, passenger-side small overlap front crash, moderate overlap front crash, side impact crash, roof strength, and head restraints and seats.
The Nexo’s frontal crash prevention systems were also rated Superior, while the headlights were rated Good or Acceptable, depending on the trim.
With Nexo’s recent IIHS recognition, Hyundai now has a total of 12 vehicles sold in the United States with Top Safety Pick ratings.
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