2008 Hyundai Sonata

midsize car / 4-door sedan

2008 Hyundai Sonata 4-door sedan

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2006-10 models

Tested vehicle: 2006 Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-door

The Hyundai Sonata was redesigned for the 2006 model year.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has evaluated the crashworthiness of the Sonata in two 40 mph moderate overlap frontal crash tests into deformable barriers.

During the first test, the driver seat back failed to maintain its adjustment in its locked precrash position, resulting in forward rotation of the seat back into the inflated airbag. The seat back then moved rearward and after the crash was found in a semi-reclined position. Postcrash inspection showed the lap portion of the driver lap/shoulder belt was partially caught beneath the seat back adjustment lever and had likely activated the lever during the crash.

Starting on August 1, 2005, Hyundai put into production a new seat back adjustment lever designed to minimize interaction with the seat belt and ensure the belt cannot slide between the lever and the plastic trim on the side of the seat. Hyundai has recalled all 2006 Sonatas manufactured before August 1 to replace the levers at its cost.

A second test was conducted to assess the effect of the fix. Hyundai sent the Institute a replacement seat back adjustment lever that was retrofitted in a Sonata produced before August 1, 2005. In the second test, the seat back remained in place.

The evaluation of the Sonata is based on the second test, except for the structural rating, which is based both tests.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the second of two frontal offset crash tests.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well (second test shown).

Smeared greasepaint above the dummy's head indicates where the head hit the roof rail during rebound in the second test. Head acceleration from this hit was low, but forces on the neck were high enough to indicate the possibility of injury.

Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal in both tests, and all leg and foot injury measures were low (second test shown).

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0525 CEF0526
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 8 10
Left (cm) 10 9
Center (cm) 15 16
Right (cm) 9 10
Brake pedal (cm) 12 12
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 5 6
Right (cm) 6 7
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 5 6
Rearward (cm) 2 5
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 1 2

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0526
Head
HIC-15 212
Peak gs at hard contact 44
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.2
Extension bending moment (Nm) 12
Maximum Nij 0.68
Chest maximum compression (mm) 37
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 1.9
Femur force - right (kN) 4.3
Knee displacement - left (mm) 7
Knee displacement - right (mm) 6
Maximum tibia index - left 0.44
Maximum tibia index - right 0.68
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.6
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 87
Right 45

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2006-10 models

Tested vehicle: 2006 Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Hyundai Sonata was redesigned for the 2006 model year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side curtain airbag.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0520
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -1.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0520
Head HIC-15 294
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.2
Compression (kN) 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 48
Lateral force (kN) 1.9
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 49
Average deflection (mm) 39
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 6.60
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 1.17
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 4.6
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.2
Combined force (kN) 7.7
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.4
L-M moment (Nm) 65
A-P moment (Nm) 44

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0520
Head HIC-15 174
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.6
Compression (kN) 0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 29
Lateral force (kN) 1.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 35
Average deflection (mm) 31
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.22
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.54
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.6
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.4
Combined force (kN) 3.0
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.4
L-M moment (Nm) 89
A-P moment (Nm) -52

How the side crash test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2006-10 models

Tested vehicle: 2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-door

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 3,312 lbs
Peak force 10,332 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 3.12

How the roof strength test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seats AHR

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual cloth seats AHR
Geometry
Backset (mm) 45
Distance below top of head (mm) 55
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 10.1
Head contact time (ms) 64
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 59
Max neck tension (N) 585

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.