Next-Generation Front Passenger Airbag

The Next-Generation Front Passenger Airbag is designed to better protect occupants in a wide range of frontal collision scenarios. It's particularly beneficial in angled frontal impacts in which lateral collision forces can cause an occupant's head to rotate severely or slide off the airbag, increasing the chance of serious injury. Significantly, the new airbag design reduces strain on brain tissue by 75 percent compared to the previous generation front passenger airbag.²⁶

Unlike conventional airbag systems that rely on a single inflatable compartment, the new system utilizes four major components: three inflated compartments – including a center chamber and two outward-projecting side chambers that create a wide base across the dash – along with an uninflated “sail panel” that stretches between the two side chambers at their outermost edge. Operating something like a baseball catcher's mitt, the sail panel catches and decelerates the occupant's head while also engaging the side chambers, pulling them inward to cradle and protect the head, mitigating the potential for injury resulting from the velocity of head rotation.