The Kona, Hyndai’s first subcompact SUV, features a lightweight body frame developed with 51.8 percent advanced high-strength steel, according to the automaker.
The body frame “delivers class-leading levels of passive safety,” Hyundai said, noting that it is the only automaker that makes its own steel for global production.
“Hot stamping methods produce lightweight, super-strong structural elements to maximize the cabin’s central safety zone,” Hyundai said in a news release. “This proves that small cars can deliver exceptional passenger protection. The length of structural adhesives used in production extends to 114.5 meters, providing additional torsional rigidity and further reducing weight – which also benefits fuel efficiency.”
The platform also boasts “an advanced energy-dispersion technology that boosts impact tolerance by dispersing crash energy across multiple structures to protect passengers in the event of an accident,” the automaker said.
As with most new vehicles these days, the Kona will feature an array of safety technology.
Active safety features include forward collision-avoidance assist, which uses the car’s front-facing camera and radar to detect an imminent collision and avoid impact or minimize damage by braking autonomously. Lane-keeping assist, high-beam assist and driver-attention warning also use the front-view camera.
By sensing road markings, lane-keep assist helps to prevent accidental lane departure by steering the car automatically if required, according to Hyundai. High-beam assist automatically controls the high beams depending on the surroundings, while the driver-attention warning system monitors certain driver-related characteristics to detect driver fatigue or careless driving.
The car’s radar systems also assist with the blind-spot collision warning to detect approaching vehicles that may be obscured from view during high-speed driving. The rear cross-traffic collision warning detects when another vehicle may have entered the car’s reversing path.
Also of note to collision repairers: The roof is finished with a two-tone color scheme, which, along with “a number of playful color variations,” will satisfy customers’ urges “to express their individuality.”
The Kona will go on sale in Korea later this month, followed by North America and Europe.