Top Safety Pick +

2017 Hyundai Elantra

small car / 4-door sedan

Award applies only to vehicles with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights; applies only to sedans built after March 2016

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Small overlap front: driver-side
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Headlights (varies by trim/option)
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Optional system	Superior

Seat belts & child restraints

Evaluation criteria	Rating
LATCH ease of use

Other available safety features

Optional blind spot detection
Optional lane departure warning
Optional lane departure prevention

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.

Small overlap front: driver-side

Rating applies to 2017-20 models built after March 2016

Tested vehicle: 2017 Hyundai Elantra SE 4-door

The Hyundai Elantra was redesigned for the 2017 model year and the Elantra GT was redesigned for the 2018 model year. Beginning with 2017 Elantra models built after March 2016 and applicable to all Elantra GT models, the structure was reinforced at the junction between the door sill and hinge pillar and the driver frontal airbag was modified to improve occupant protection in small overlap crashes. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.)

Evaluation criteria	Rating

Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the driver-side small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

The frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury.

Forces during the crash contributed to a moderate risk of injury to the dummy's left lower leg.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEN1619
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	5
Footrest (cm)	3
Left toepan (cm)	1
Brake pedal (cm)	2
Parking brake (cm)
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	2
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column	0
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	2
Upper dash (cm)	3
Lower instrument panel (cm)	3

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEN1619
Head
HIC-15	538
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.5
Extension bending moment (Nm)	10
Maximum Nij	0.26
Chest maximum compression (mm)	25
Femur (kN)
Left	1.9
Right	0.3
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	0
Right	1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.55
Right	0.61
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	5.3
Right	2.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	89
Right	94

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2017-20 models

Tested vehicle: 2017 Hyundai Elantra SE 4-door

The Hyundai Elantra was redesigned for the 2017 model year and the Elantra GT was redesigned for the 2018 model year. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on two tests of the Elantra conducted by Hyundai.

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

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF1608	VTF1607
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	1	1
Left (cm)	5	4
Center (cm)	2	1
Right (cm)	1	1
Brake pedal (cm)	3	2
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	0	0
Right (cm)	1	0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	-3	-2
Rearward (cm)	-5	-5
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	0	0

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF1608	VTF1607
Head
HIC-15	214	209
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.2	1.3
Extension bending moment (Nm)	10	20
Maximum Nij	0.25	0.29
Chest maximum compression (mm)	32	29
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	0.5	0.3
Femur force - right (kN)	1.0	0.7
Knee displacement - left (mm)	0	0
Knee displacement - right (mm)	2	1
Maximum tibia index - left	0.39	0.30
Maximum tibia index - right	0.42	0.50
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	2.4	1.9
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	2.1	1.9
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	67	45
Right	53	51

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2017-20 models

Tested vehicle: 2017 Hyundai Elantra SE 4-door

The Hyundai Elantra was redesigned for the 2017 model year and the Elantra GT was redesigned for the 2018 model year. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Hyundai.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
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

Technical measurements for this test

Test ID	VTS1607
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-16.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS1607
Head HIC-15	331
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.1
Compression (kN)	0.3
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	37
Lateral force (kN)	1.0
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	42
Average deflection (mm)	34
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	5.80
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.86
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	2.8
Acetabulum force (kN)	1.6
Combined force (kN)	4.4
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.9
L-M moment (Nm)	137
A-P moment (Nm)	86

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS1607
Head HIC-15	203
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.2
Compression (kN)	0.4
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	30
Lateral force (kN)	1.8
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	45
Average deflection (mm)	38
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	4.50
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.80
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	0.0
Acetabulum force (kN)	0.7
Combined force (kN)	0.7
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	1.3
L-M moment (Nm)	235
A-P moment (Nm)	63

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2017-20 models

Tested vehicle: 2017 Hyundai Elantra SE 4-door

Rating applies to both the Elantra 4-door sedan (tested) and the structurally similar 2018 and later Elantra GT 4-door hatchback.

Overall evaluation
Curb weight	2,826 lbs
Peak force	15,369 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio	5.44

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seat

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	Manual cloth seat
Geometry
Backset (mm)	32
Distance below top of head (mm)	6
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g)	12.4
Head contact time (ms)	63
Force rating	1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	8
Max neck tension (N)	519

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

Headlights

Ratings are given for 2 different headlight variations available on this vehicle.

Trim level(s)

Limited trim equipped with Ultimate package

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Low-beam headlight type	HID projector
High-beam headlight type	Halogen reflector
Curve-adaptive?	Yes
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was good on both right curves, fair on the sharp left curve and inadequate on the gradual left curve.

The low beams created some glare.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on both right curves and fair on both left curves.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway and on both left curves.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Trim level(s)	Limited trim equipped with Ultimate package
Low-beam headlight type	HID projector
High-beam headlight type	Halogen reflector
Curve-adaptive?	Yes
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating Applies to 2017-18 models

LOW BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)	Amount glare exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge	94.3 m	None
Straightaway left edge	53.4 m	None
250m radius right curve, right edge	89.1 m	28.0%
250m radius left curve, left edge	52.6 m	None
150m radius right curve, right edge	78.0 m	None
150m radius left curve, left edge	50.5 m	None

HIGH BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge	183.6 m
Straightaway left edge	157.4 m
250m radius right curve, right edge	92.4 m
250m radius left curve, left edge	65.5 m
150m radius right curve, right edge	78.5 m
150m radius left curve, left edge	55.3 m

Trim level(s)

SE trim
Eco trim
Limited trim

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Low-beam headlight type	Halogen projector
High-beam headlight type	Halogen reflector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	No
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was inadequate on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Trim level(s)	SE trim Eco trim Limited trim
Low-beam headlight type	Halogen projector
High-beam headlight type	Halogen reflector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	No
Overall rating Applies to 2017-18 models

LOW BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)	Amount glare exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge	71.6 m	None
Straightaway left edge	40.1 m	None
250m radius right curve, right edge	47.2 m	None
250m radius left curve, left edge	40.3 m	None
150m radius right curve, right edge	41.9 m	None
150m radius left curve, left edge	37.2 m	None

HIGH BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge	168.6 m
Straightaway left edge	137.2 m
250m radius right curve, right edge	58.1 m
250m radius left curve, left edge	57.8 m
150m radius right curve, right edge	48.2 m
150m radius left curve, left edge	47.0 m

About the headlight evaluation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

System details

Optional Automatic Emergency Braking

Package name

Optional Ultimate Package

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2017-18 models

Superior

with optional equipment

This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 25 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 22 mph.

About the original front crash prevention test

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2017-20 models

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Vehicle trim	SE
Seat type	cloth

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.

It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Vehicle trim	SE
Seat type	cloth

Rating icon	Rating
G	Good
A	Acceptable
M	Marginal
P	Poor
	Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol	Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol	Lower anchors
shared lower achors symbol	Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
	No hardware available

Details by seating position

Position	Rating
1
1	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors
2
2	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	none available
3
3	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors

Technical measurements for this test

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	2-4
Force (lbs)	23
Clearance angle (degrees)	69
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	2-4
Force (lbs)	32
Clearance angle (degrees)	76
Tether anchor
Location	Rear deck
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	No
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

Lower anchor A
No lower latch for this seat position
Lower anchor B
No lower latch for this seat position
Tether anchor
Location	Rear deck
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	No
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	2-4
Force (lbs)	23
Clearance angle (degrees)	75
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	2-4
Force (lbs)	31
Clearance angle (degrees)	81
Tether anchor
Location	Rear deck
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	No
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

About the child seat anchor evaluation