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The 2021 Acura TLX has earned the “Best of What’s New” for 2020 by Popular Science and also was named “Grand Award” winner among all automotive entrants.
“The ‘Best of What’s New’ awards showcase the year’s greatest feats of human ingenuity,” says Popular Science Editor-in-Chief Corinne Iozzio. “Even in a year like 2020, innovation has helped us glimpse a future that’s safer, smarter, and more enjoyable than we might have thought possible.”
Popular Science singled out the multi-chamber front passenger airbag found in the all-new 2021 Acura TLX sports sedan. The innovative technology offered the world’s first passenger front airbag intended to address severe brain trauma associated with angled frontal collisions.
The airbag is designed to help reduce head and neck injuries by better controlling the front passenger’s head in certain types of crashes. It can better manage lateral collision forces that may cause an occupant’s head to rotate severely at high velocity, or to slide off a conventional passenger airbag, increasing the chance of serious injury.
Compared to a single inflatable chamber of conventional airbag systems, the new passenger airbag consists of four major components: three inflated compartments (a center chamber and two outward-projecting side chambers that create a wide base across the dash) and an uninflated “sail panel” that stretches between the two side chambers.
The “sail panel” is designed to initially catch and decelerate the occupant’s head with less force prior to contacting the lower chamber, while directing it inward between the two inflated chambers to cradle and help protect the front seat passenger’s head.
Popular Science reviews thousands of new products annually and selects the top 100 winners among 10 categories. “Best of What’s New” winners are considered products or technology that represent a significant step forward in its category.
More information about Acura’s next-generation passenger front airbag and other safety innovations can be found at acura.us/safetyinnovation.
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