The independent vehicle assessment organisation Euro NCAP, which tested 23 new passenger cars in 2018, has now announced this year’s best rated cars. The Hyundai NEXO has been awarded ‘Best in Class’ of 2018 in the ‘Large Off-Road’ category, ahead of new SUVs from other well-known brands.

The NEXO has recently received the maximum five-star overall safety rating from Euro NCAP. Hyundai’s second generation of commercialised fuel cell electric vehicles demonstrated its high active and passive safety in all four Euro NCAP rating categories and is the first fuel cell electric vehicle to be awarded the maximum five-star overall rating by Euro NCAP.

“The Euro NCAP ‘Best in Class’ 2018 title for the Hyundai NEXO is a great honour for us. It proves that NEXO is not only the safest fuel cell electric vehicle on the market, but also leading the way among SUVs with traditional powertrains,” says Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, Vice President Marketing and Product, Hyundai Motor Europe HQ. “Hyundai is committed to provide customers and other road users with the highest level of safety, while offering innovative mobility solutions. This accolade by Euro NCAP is further evidence of our industry-leading position in the field of future mobility.”

Protecting passengers and other road users with Hyundai SmartSense

All-New NEXO features the latest Hyundai SmartSense active safety and driving assistance technologies, helping to significantly lower the risk of collisions and increase comfort on board the NEXO.

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) with Pedestrian Detection was one of the Hyundai SmartSense features rigorously tested and particularly convincing in the Euro NCAP. This system is one of the many advanced active safety features, alerting drivers to emergency situations and braking automatically if required. Using front radar and camera sensors, FCA operates in three stages. Warning the driver visually and acoustically, it controls the brake according to the collision danger level, and applies maximum braking force to avoid a collision or minimise damage when a collision is unavoidable.

The Lane Keeping Assist system also received a top-rating in the Euro NCAP testing. It is enhanced by the standard-fit Lane Following Assist, which keeps the car in the middle of the lane and alerts the driver in case of any unsafe movements at a speed from 0 to 150 km/h.

In recent years, Hyundai cars have regularly received the top Euro NCAP safety rating. Among others, the i30, Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe and IONIQ all received the maximum five-star rating in the assessment programme. The continuous top rating underlines Hyundai’s engineering credibility in terms of safety and reliability.

The All-New NEXO is on sale now in Europe, with specific launch timings varying by market.

SOURCE: Hyundai