For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Tucson have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.
In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Tucson are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.
Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Tucson Limited has standard Reverse Collision-Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.
The Tucson offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.
The Tucson Limited has a standard Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Corolla Hatchback only offers a rear monitor.
The Tucson has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Corolla Hatchback’s blind spot costs extra.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Tucson has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Toyota charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Alert on the Corolla Hatchback and the Corolla Hatchback’s Rear Cross-Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.
Both the Tucson and the Corolla Hatchback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Tucson is safer than the Toyota Corolla Hatchback:
|
Tucson |
Corolla Hatchback |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
325 |
356 |
Chest Compression |
.4 inches |
.6 inches |
Neck Stress |
125 lbs. |
165 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
59 lbs. |
86 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
51/13 lbs. |
301/156 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Tucson is safer than the Toyota Corolla Hatchback:
|
Tucson |
Corolla Hatchback |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
71 |
92 |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
37 |
137 |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
614 lbs. |
623 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Hyundai Tucson is safer than the Corolla Hatchback:
|
Tucson |
Corolla Hatchback |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Structure |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Neck Compression |
-45 lbs. |
134 lbs. |
Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
Shoulder Force |
223 lbs. |
268 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.34 in |
1.61 in |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
Pelvis Force |
759 lbs. |
1339 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head Injury Criterion |
116 |
150 |
Neck Tension |
45 lbs. |
67 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
-134 lbs. |
89 lbs. |
Shoulder Deflection |
1.1 in |
1.38 in |
Shoulder Force |
245 lbs. |
312 lbs. |
Torso Deflection Rate |
5 MPH |
7 MPH |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Pelvis Force |
669 lbs. |
1026 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
The Hyundai Tucson has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Corolla Hatchback was last only a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023 but no longer qualifies.