Hyundai plans to step up i20 safety

HYUNDAI Motor Co Australia (HMCA) will make six airbags standard across its all-new i20 range from September, revealing at the light car’s launch this week that factory constraints meant it was forced to enter our market without curtain airbags on the entry-level Active model variant.

HMCA marketing director Oliver Mann said that while past experience had shown people were not prepared to pay for safety items like extra airbags, the company intended to make six airbags and a five-star crash safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) standard across the i20 range.

Curtain airbags are fitted standard on the mid-range Elite model variants, priced from $18,490, and the high-series Premium, starting at $21,490.

However, they are unavailable for the time being, even as an option, on either the three-door or five-door Active.

“This was not initially possible on the Active models due to a factory constraint,” Mr Mann told GoAuto.

“We have been working with the parent company on this issue, and six airbags will become standard on Active models from July production. They will be in the showrooms from September 1.”As a consequence, Mr Mann also confirmed there would be a price adjustment to take account of the extra cost, pushing the entry-level price of the Active above the $14,990 in force now. He could not say how much the adjustment would be.

“Unfortunately, the slender margins within the light car category mean it will be a necessary cost to pass on.”