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Hyundai developing safety system calibrated for 'secondary impacts'

There is an inherent flaw with how traditional airbags are used and deployed: They can only reply to one impact. The Hyundai Motor Group wants to address this with a new "multi-collision airbag system" that focuses on impacts that occur after the first point of contact. Hyundai defines multi-collision accidents as "those in which the primary impact is followed by collisions with secondary objects, such as trees, electrical posts or other vehicles." In a press release, Hyundai noted that about 30 percent of roughly 56,000 accidents between 2000 and 2012 in North America involved these types of multi-collisions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)'s National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System division. The airbag systems in today's cars don't always go off when the first accident occurs, and when a car goes through a secondary impact, the airbags may no longer provide the best safety. Hyundai's new system can read the positions of the car's occupants and react in a more beneficial way. It can quickly recalibrate after the first impact based on readings from the vehicle and the people inside, which allows the second part of the crash to trigger the airbags. As of now the system is still in development, but Hyundai Motor Group is planning to use it in both Kia and Hyundai vehicles in the future. Which models and which markets it will apply to first are yet to be determined. Related Video:

2018 Kia Niro bests Prius and Ioniq with IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus rating

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has recently tested the 2018 Kia Niro, and the car came out well. The organization gave it the Top Safety Pick+ award, which goes to cars that meet the organization's most stringent safety requirements. While good on its own, the Niro's new commendation also stands out because its corporate cousin, the Hyundai Ioniq, and its close competitor the Toyota Prius only received the plain Top Safety Pick award. The Niro earned this score by getting a "Good" rating, the highest IIHS bestows, in every single crash test, including the difficult small overlap test for both passenger and driver. It also received a "Good" rating for its optional HID headlights, and the optional forward collision prevention system managed to prevent a collision at speeds up to 25 mph. This brings us to a caveat to the Niro's scores, though. The highly rated headlights and forward collision prevention system are options that don't come standard on base models of the Niro. The headlights only become available on the second-highest EX trim, and are standard on the top Touring trim. The forward collision prevention system is not available on the base FE trim, but it is an option starting with the second-lowest LX trim, and is standard on Touring. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Kia Niro Hybrid: First Drive View 20 Photos Image Credit: Kia Green Kia Safety Crossover Hatchback Hybrid kia niro

2019 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack vs. 2018 Kia Stinger GT Comparison | Big bargain bruisers

The Kia Stinger GT is a sporty midsize sedan with a sleek hatchback roof and a luxurious interior, so it makes sense that it's frequently been compared to high-end German cars of a similar description. While it has generally faired quite well against the likes of the Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe despite its commoner badge, it's unclear how many potential Audi and BMW buyers are going to also consider a Kia. So, what else can be thrown at it? Well, the Stinger has a bold, brash exterior the Germans can’t match, while boasting loads of space, features and performance at a discount price. You know what that sounds like? The Dodge Charger, which we recently had in the Autoblog garage. It's not exactly an apples-to-apples choice – bigger, no hatch, a pair of extra cylinders – but the two sedans are close on price, especially the 2019 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack that arrived at our office with an MSRP of $46,075. ThatÂ’s just a few hundred less than our long-term StingerÂ’s price of $46,620. So I decided to try them back-to-back to see which is the better bargain bruiser. 2018 Kia Stinger View 11 Photos The Charger takes an early lead with its 6.4-liter naturally aspirated V8, which generates 485 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque – a big advantage over the StingerÂ’s 365 horses and 376 pound-feet. But itÂ’s not just the power that gives it the edge, itÂ’s that it makes all the right sounds, and itÂ’s so smooth and responsive. Any amount of throttle yields a charmingly round, mellow sound, with just a hint of grit. ItÂ’s vintage American rumble in a modern(ish) wrapper. Additionally, power is so smooth and progressive that itÂ’s easy to dial in the right amount. ThereÂ’s one minor exception in its controllability at launch, as it takes a moment for the torque converter to spin up, and a lazy foot can get the tires to yelp (yours truly and a couple other editors ran into this). The ZF eight-speed automatic shifts seamlessly, whether youÂ’re in automatic or manual mode. The Kia Stinger GTÂ’s twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 is also a great engine, but it lacks the character and the finesse of the Charger's V8. While that giant 6.4-liter lets out a hearty roar, the Stinger keeps its mouth tightly shut. Only a low, generic mumble from the intake comes from under the hood. And as weÂ’ve talked about before, the throttle response is sluggish, and it takes a moment for boost to build.