India-bound Hyundai Elantra scores maximum IIHS safety rating in the US

The IIHS (Insurance Institute of Highway Safety) has given the US-model of the 2017 Hyundai Elantra a Top Safety Pick Plus rating. This is the topmost rating offered by the institute in their car crash tests.

The Hyundai Elantra's latest model scored well in all the categories of the IIHS crash test. This is classified into five categories including roof strength, head restraints and seats, moderate overlap frontal collision, side impact, and small overlap frontal collision. The new ratings are applicable to the Elantras produced after March 2016.

The 2017 Elantra not only did well, but showed an improvement over its earlier model. Especially in the small overlap frontal collision test, the new Elantra showed just 2 inches of intrusion. The earlier model had suffered a maximum cabin intrusion of 9 inches. This improvement and scoring a top safety rating is due to Hyundai's effort of strengthening the junction between the door sill and the hinge pillar. Also, the car successfully avoided a collision at speeds of around 20kmph on the institute's track test, thanks to the vehicle's Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system.

Hyundai has already launched the new Elantra overseas and is testing it on the Indian roads. The sedan will be made in India and is expected to be launched for the Indian market by the end of next month. It will compete with the Toyota Corolla Altis, Skoda Octavia and the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze when it goes on sale in the country.