The Hyundai Elantra 2022 marks a significant redesign in the compact car segment, bringing with it not just refreshed aesthetics and features, but also a renewed focus on safety. For prospective buyers and safety-conscious drivers, understanding how the Elantra 2022 performs in rigorous safety evaluations is crucial. This article delves into the comprehensive safety ratings of the 2022 Hyundai Elantra, providing an in-depth look at its performance in various crash tests and safety assessments conducted by leading safety organizations.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Driver-Side Performance of the Elantra 2022
The small overlap front crash test is designed to simulate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with a narrow object like a tree or pole. In the driver-side small overlap test for the 2022 Hyundai Elantra, the vehicle achieved a Good rating, the highest possible.
This “Good” rating encompasses several key aspects:
- Structure and Safety Cage: Rated Good, indicating that the structural integrity of the Elantra 2022 held up well in this challenging crash scenario, maintaining the occupant compartment space.
- Driver Injury Measures: All critical injury measures for the driver were rated Good, including head/neck, chest, and hip/thigh protection. The lower leg/foot protection was rated as Acceptable, still a solid performance.
- Driver Restraints and Dummy Kinematics: Also rated Good, signifying that the Elantra 2022’s restraint systems effectively managed the dummy’s movement during the crash, minimizing potential injuries.
Technical measurements from the test further illustrate the Elantra 2022’s robust performance. Occupant compartment intrusion was minimal across various points, and injury measures such as Head Injury Criterion (HIC), neck tension, chest compression, and femur forces were all well within acceptable limits, demonstrating effective protection for the driver in a driver-side small overlap frontal crash.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Passenger-Side Assessment of the 2022 Elantra
The passenger-side small overlap test mirrors the driver-side test but evaluates the protection offered to the front passenger. The 2022 Hyundai Elantra once again earned an overall Good rating in this assessment.
Key highlights from the passenger-side evaluation include:
- Overall Evaluation and Structure/Safety Cage: Both rated Good, reflecting consistent structural performance and occupant protection similar to the driver-side test.
- Passenger Injury Measures: All passenger injury measures—head/neck, chest, hip/thigh, and lower leg/foot—achieved Good ratings, indicating comprehensive protection for the front passenger.
- Passenger Restraints and Dummy Kinematics: Rated Acceptable. The assessment noted that the passenger dummy’s head contacted the frontal airbag and slid towards the gap between the frontal and side curtain airbags. However, the side curtain airbag still provided sufficient coverage to protect the head from contacting side structures.
- Driver Injury Measures: Intriguingly, driver injury measures are also assessed in the passenger-side test, and all of these were rated Good for the Elantra 2022, showcasing consistent safety performance across the front seating area.
Technical data reveals minimal occupant compartment intrusion on the passenger side, and passenger injury metrics like HIC, neck forces, and chest compression remained low, reinforcing the “Good” rating and demonstrating effective passenger protection in a small overlap frontal crash.
Moderate Overlap Front Crash Test: Original Evaluation of the Elantra 2022
The moderate overlap front crash test involves a larger portion of the vehicle’s front end impacting a deformable barrier. In this original moderate overlap front test, the 2022 Hyundai Elantra again achieved a Good overall rating.
Key takeaways from the moderate overlap test:
- Overall Evaluation and Structure/Safety Cage: Rated Good, indicating robust performance in a more conventional frontal collision scenario.
- Driver Injury Measures: All driver injury measures—head/neck, chest, and leg/foot (both left and right)—were rated Good, demonstrating excellent protection across the board.
- Driver Restraints and Dummy Kinematics: Rated Good, confirming effective restraint system performance in managing crash forces.
Technical measurements show minimal footwell intrusion and well-managed movement of the instrument panel and steering column. Driver injury measures remained low, underscoring the Elantra 2022’s ability to protect occupants in a moderate overlap frontal impact.
Side Crash Test: Original Assessment for the 2022 Elantra
The side crash test evaluates how well a vehicle protects occupants in a side impact scenario, typically from another vehicle. The 2022 Hyundai Elantra received a Good overall rating in the original side crash test.
Key findings from the side crash evaluation:
- Overall Evaluation and Structure/Safety Cage: Rated Good, signifying strong structural integrity in side impact scenarios.
- Driver Injury Measures: Head/neck and pelvis/leg protection were rated Good. Torso protection was rated Acceptable.
- Driver Head Protection: Rated Good, indicating effective protection against head injuries in a side collision.
- Rear Passenger Injury Measures and Head Protection: All measures for rear passengers—head/neck, torso, pelvis/leg, and head protection—were rated Good, demonstrating excellent side impact safety for rear occupants as well.
Technical measurements reveal controlled occupant compartment intrusion and acceptable injury measures for both driver and passenger dummies, affirming the Elantra 2022’s strong side-impact protection.
Roof Strength Test: Ensuring Rollover Protection in the Elantra 2022
The roof strength test assesses a vehicle’s ability to withstand forces in a rollover situation. The 2022 Hyundai Elantra achieved a Good rating for roof strength.
Key metrics from the roof strength test:
- Overall Evaluation: Good, indicating a strong roof capable of protecting occupants in a rollover.
- Strength-to-Weight Ratio: A ratio of 6.18, demonstrating that the Elantra 2022’s roof can withstand over six times the vehicle’s weight, a strong performance.
This “Good” rating provides assurance of the Elantra 2022’s structural resilience in rollover scenarios.
Head Restraints & Seats: Whiplash Protection in the 2022 Elantra
Evaluations of head restraints and seats focus on preventing whiplash injuries in rear-end collisions. The 2022 Hyundai Elantra with manual cloth seats earned a Good overall rating in this category.
Key highlights of the head restraints & seats assessment:
- Overall Evaluation: Good, indicating effective whiplash protection.
- Dynamic Rating and Seat/Head Restraint Geometry: Both rated Good, confirming both the dynamic performance during simulated rear impacts and the geometric design of the seats and head restraints are conducive to whiplash prevention.
Technical measurements like backset and distance below the top of the head, along with seat design parameters and neck forces, all contribute to the “Good” rating, emphasizing the Elantra 2022’s focus on occupant neck safety.
Headlight Performance: Variations in Illumination for the 2022 Elantra
Headlight ratings assess how well a vehicle’s headlights illuminate the road ahead and minimize glare for oncoming drivers. The 2022 Hyundai Elantra has different headlight options, with ratings varying by trim level.
For the Limited trim with LED projector headlights, the overall rating is Good.
Key points for Limited trim headlights:
- Overall Rating: Good, a top rating indicating excellent headlight performance.
- Low-beam and High-beam Headlight Type: LED projector, contributing to superior illumination.
- High-beam Assist: Yes, further enhancing visibility by automatically switching between high and low beams.
- Visibility Performance: Good visibility on straightaways and curves with both low and high beams, and glare limits were never exceeded.
For other trims like SE, SEL, and N-Line with Halogen projector headlights, the overall rating is Poor.
Key points for SE/SEL/N-Line trim headlights:
- Overall Rating: Poor, the lowest rating, indicating significant deficiencies in headlight performance.
- Low-beam and High-beam Headlight Type: Halogen projector, resulting in inadequate illumination in various driving scenarios.
- Visibility Performance: Inadequate visibility on straightaways and curves with both low and high beams, despite high-beam assist attempting to compensate.
This significant difference in headlight ratings between trims highlights the importance of considering the trim level when evaluating the 2022 Elantra’s safety features, particularly for nighttime driving visibility.
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Pedestrian Safety in the Elantra 2022
Front crash prevention systems are crucial for mitigating or avoiding frontal collisions. The 2022 Hyundai Elantra offers different front crash prevention systems depending on the trim and options.
For trims with optional Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian (FCA-Ped), Cyclist, and Junction-Turning Detection (Optional Convenience Package on SEL, standard on Limited), the overall rating for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention is Superior.
Key aspects of the superior system:
- Overall Evaluation: Superior, the highest rating, indicating exceptional vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention capabilities.
- Forward Collision Warning: Meets requirements.
- 12 mph and 25 mph Tests: Collision avoided in both tests, demonstrating effective automatic emergency braking.
For trims with standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection, the overall rating for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention is also Superior.
This system also achieved a Superior rating, with collision avoidance in both 12 mph and 25 mph tests.
In pedestrian front crash prevention (daytime), the system with optional Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (as above) is rated Superior.
Performance highlights of the superior pedestrian system:
- Overall Evaluation: Superior for daytime pedestrian detection.
- Crossing Child and Adult Tests (12 mph and 25 mph): Collision avoided in all tests.
- Parallel Adult Test (25 mph and 37 mph): Collision avoided in both tests, with warnings issued before potential impact.
The standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection system achieves an Advanced rating in pedestrian front crash prevention (daytime).
Performance of the advanced pedestrian system:
- Overall Evaluation: Advanced for daytime pedestrian detection.
- Crossing Child Test (12 mph): Collision avoided. (25 mph): Impact speed reduced by 14 mph.
- Crossing Adult Test (12 mph): Collision avoided. (25 mph): Impact speed reduced by 21 mph.
- Parallel Adult Test (25 mph and 37 mph): Collision avoided in both tests, with warnings issued before potential impact.
Both systems demonstrate robust front crash prevention capabilities, with the optional system offering superior performance, especially in pedestrian detection scenarios.
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH): Ease of Use in the 2022 Elantra
Child seat anchor (LATCH) evaluations assess the ease of installing child seats. The 2022 Hyundai Elantra received an Acceptable rating for LATCH ease of use.
Key aspects of the LATCH system:
- Overall Evaluation: Acceptable.
- Number of LATCH Positions: 2 rear seating positions with complete LATCH hardware, and 1 additional position with a tether anchor only.
- Ease of Use Details: Lower anchors in positions 1 and 3 are noted as being too deep in the seat, but not requiring excessive force to attach to and easy to maneuver around. Tether anchors are easy to find and not confused with other hardware.
While rated “Acceptable,” the Elantra 2022 provides multiple child seat anchor positions, making it reasonably family-friendly in terms of child passenger safety.
Conclusion: The 2022 Hyundai Elantra – A Safe and Solid Choice
Overall, the 2022 Hyundai Elantra demonstrates a strong commitment to safety, achieving Good ratings in most crashworthiness evaluations. It excels in front and side crash protection, roof strength, and head restraint performance. Front crash prevention systems are also highly effective, especially with the optional upgrade.
However, potential buyers should be aware of the Poor headlight rating on SE, SEL, and N-Line trims, and consider opting for the Limited trim with its Good rated LED headlights for enhanced nighttime safety. The “Acceptable” rating for LATCH ease of use is a minor consideration for families with young children.
In conclusion, the Hyundai Elantra 2022 stands out as a safe compact car, providing peace of mind with its robust crash protection and advanced safety features, making it a compelling option in its class.
