US Trying to Perfect its Safety Rating System; Can't we Just Meet EU Standards and Call it a Day?

US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has announced a new and improved 5-star safety rating system for 2011 vehicles. If you're interested about your new car, scroll on down for some of the vehicles tested. As of now, the BMW 5-Series (RWD) and Hyundai Sonata are the only vehicles to be top-rated (33 of the 55 models to be tested have been graded thus far).

The NHTSA says the new protocols will also test "side-pole" accidents and crash-prevention systems, as well as using new dummies (hopefully these will be set up properly). One new addition will be the use of a smaller "female" dummy to gauge accidents involving women. Also, new "injury criteria" will be implemented, as well as the use of an Overall Vehicle Score.

NHTSA Administrator David Strickland says, "We want consumers to embrace these new safety technologies as a way to make vehicles safer. We believe electronic stability control, lane departure warning, and forward collision warning offer significant safety benefits and consumers should consider them when buying a new car." Well, yeah.

By Phil Alex

2010 Hyundai Sonata i40 Electric Hybrid Concept Car

2010 Hyundai Sonata i40 Electric Hybrid Concept Car

Hyundai presented the next generation Sonata sedan, which is on the European market would be called i40.
2010 Hyundai Sonata gets a new platform and a different range of engines, which will include a series of turbo diesel “R” and the four-and six-cylinder petrol engines. It is also expected to modify the appearance of 228-strong hybrid that combines 2.0-liter turbo-charged (according to other sources - 2.4-liter) capacity of 30 kilowatt electric motor, lithium-ion batteries, and six-speed automatic transmission.
In the sale of novelty will appear early next year. According to some foreign publications in Europe, first to the market can go touring Hyundai i40, then hatchback, sedan and the hybrid version.