The advanced safety systems of the Series Sedan build on its
impressive record.
Passive safety begins with the extremely rigid
steel “safety cage” that surrounds the occupant compartment, with
deformable crush tubes front and rear. In a severe crash, impact
energy is absorbed and routed around the passenger cabin.
Sensors throughout the vehicle measure both the severity of the crash
and the presence of occupants. After analyzing the data, the vehicle
determines the best plan for deploying safety-belt pretensioners and
airbags. Six airbags are on hand to help shield occupants from harm:
for the driver and front passenger, there are dual-threshold, dual-stage
front airbags, and seat-mounted front side airbags. In a side impact,
Head Protection System (HPS) side-curtain airbags stretch all the way
from the A pillar in the front to the C pillar at the rear, helping to keep
front and rear occupants’ heads from hitting the side windows, and
keeping debris out of the cabin.
The front seats of the Series Sedan include Active Headrests. In a
rear-end impact, they quickly pivot forward, close to the backs of
occupants’ heads. This reduces rearward head motion, lessening
the likelihood of whiplash or other head or neck injuries.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) “Top Safety Pick – Silver” rating,
March , is based in part on the Series’ performance in IIHS’s -mph
frontal-offset and -mph side-impact tests. The model retains this rating.
High performance when it counts: in a flash.
