The start point for the best source of fleet information |
New Honda Jazz adopts front centre airbag
Date: 30 April 2020 | Author: Simon Harris
The new Honda Jazz will be the first of the manufacturer's models in Europe to be offered with a front centre airbags.
Car manufacturers have been fitting cars with airbags on the outer sides of the front seats for many years, but in 2020, we are beginning to see the adoption of an airbag between the driver and front passenger to help further reduce the risk of injury.
The new front centre airbag is fitted within the back of the driver's seat and expands into the space between driver and passenger.
The airbag, one of 10 in the new Jazz, helps to avoid direct contact and reduce impact between a driver and a passenger in a side-on collision.
The airbag uses three attachment tethers that guide it around the driver in a curve, to ensure better accuracy of protection. The engineering team developed the airbag unit to fit within the upper bolster of the new driver's seat.
Two other technologies also help reduce the risk of severe injury in a side-on collision, including the seatbelt pre-tensioners and a higher centre arm-rest.
Advancements in occupant safety come as Euro NCAP, the European consumer protection organisation for vehicle safety, introduces new test requirements in 2020 in recognition of the severe effects of side-on collisions.
The Jazz, avaiable only as a petrol-electric hybrid, is expected to go on sale in the UK this summer as a standard hatchback, and a taller Crosstar variant. Prices start at £18,980 on the road for the entry-level SE, which has CO2 emissions of 102g/km.
