Hyundai HB 20 is a premium hatchback which is currently on sale in Brazil
Do you remember that when the Tata Nexon was first crash tested by GNCAP it had scored a 4-star safety rating and later the SUV was crash-tested again at a later date it scored a 5-star safety rating? Well, something similar happened on the other side of the planet recently, however with some twist.
For the Brazilian (and other Latin American countries) market, it is the Latin NCAP which takes the lead for all such safety test of cars. Back in 2019, it had crash tested a made in Brazil Hyundai HB 20 (with 2 airbags) and the Hyundai had scored a good 4-star safety rating for adult occupants and a 3-star safety rating for child occupants.
Test Results till now
As per Latin NCAP protocols, Latin NCAP has the right to re-audit any sponsored test at any given time in the future. So, later when Latin NCAP re-assessed the Hyundai HB20, the model showed lower side impact protection for chest of the adult occupants than what the same model had achieved in the original test in September 2019. As a result, Latin NCAP downgraded the safety rating to one star.
Latest 2020 Latin NCAP Test
Now, recently in December’20, Latin NCAP had re-assessed the Hyundai HB20 along with the Ford Ka. Latin NCAP had also revised its safety rating criteria and made it more stringent. For the test in Dec’20, both the models were tested in Side and Frontal Impact, Pedestrian Protection and Whiplash. Side Pole Impact test wasn’t done as both the models didn’t offer side head protection as a standard feature.
Safety Performance
The Hyundai HB 20 didn’t meet UN regulations on Pedestrian Protection and didn’t come along with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as standard. Also, the car didn’t have rescue sheet available as per Latin NCAP’s requirements. It scored 19% in Adult Occupant Protection, 10% in Child Protection, 43% in Pedestrian Protection and 14% in Safety Assist.
Overall, it scored averagely in frontal impact protection while the side impact gave a poor chest protection which affected the overall score negatively. Performance in the Whiplash test wasn’t too good and the unavailability of ESC further ensured that the Hyundai HB20 is awarded nothing more than a 0-star safety rating.
Post the test, David Ward, President at GNCAP tweeted, ‘Worryingly poor zero star cars for Hyundai & Ford. @LatinNCAP tests have got tougher & so manufacturers will have to step up their performance. For example, by making anti-skid system electronic stability control standard! #nozerostarcars“.
It is to be noted here, that the Hyundai HB 20 is not same as Hyundai i20 on sale in India. Both are completely different cars, built on different platforms and have different engine options. India-spec Hyundai i20 has not been crash tested yet.
