Hyundai develops world’s first sunroof airbag

Hyundai’s auto component division aims to take vehicle safety to a new level by introducing a panoramic sunroof airbag.

Hyundai Mobis, a South Korea based auto component manufacturer which is a part of the Hyundai Motor Group, has developed world’s first sunroof airbag. The airbag is aimed at protecting the occupants in case of a rollover accident.

The airbag is specifically designed for panoramic sunroofs. Hyundai Mobis is said to have completed all the tests for this first-of-a-kind safety solution - during the testing procedure, the airbag deployed from the test vehicle’s panoramic sunroof, preventing the crash test dummy to fly out, and also added essential cushioning to its head. The company has obtained all the necessary licenses for this technology’s mass production.

The panorama sunroof airbag works somehow similar to curtain airbags - the roof airbag is installed inside the sunroof, and during collision, is deployed forward from the rear. It unfolds in around 0.08 seconds, and nearly covers the whole roof of the vehicle.

In a press release, Hyundai Mobis has claimed that it has ‘11 patents pending to support its move into the premium SUV market’ - giving us a rough idea that the first application of this airbag technology might come in a premium SUV, most likely the debut SUV of Hyundai’s new luxury brand, Genesis.