75-585: The Chevrolet HHR (an initialism for Heritage High Roof) is a retro-styled , high-roofed, five-door, five-passenger, front-wheel drive wagon designed by Bryan Nesbitt and launched by the American automaker Chevrolet at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show as a 2006 model . The HHR shares the GM Delta platform with the Chevrolet Cobalt , Pontiac G5 , and Saturn Ion . Chevrolet also marketed
150-424: A collision and then deflate afterwards. It consists of an airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. The purpose of the airbag is to provide a vehicle occupant with soft cushioning and restraint during a collision. It can reduce injuries between the flailing occupant and the vehicle's interior. The airbag provides an energy-absorbing surface between the vehicle's occupants and
225-768: A panel van variant of the HHR beginning in 2007. Assembled in Ramos Arizpe , Mexico and marketed throughout North America, production of the HHR ended in May 2011. The HHR was replaced in the U.S. by the Chevrolet Captiva Sport , a rebadged version of the Opel Antara . However, the Captiva Sport was only available as a fleet vehicle and was not available new to the general public. The vehicle's design
300-409: A performance-based occupant-protection standard rather than one mandating a particular technical solution (which could rapidly become outdated and prove to not be a cost-effective approach). Less emphasis was placed on other designs as countries successfully mandated seat belt restrictions, however. The auto industry and research and regulatory communities have moved away from their initial view of
375-421: A ball-in-tube mechanism for crash detection. Under his system, an electromechanical sensor with a steel ball attached to a tube by a magnet would inflate an airbag in under 30 milliseconds. A small explosion of sodium azide was used instead of compressed air during inflation for the first time. Breed Corporation then marketed this innovation to Chrysler . A similar "Auto-Ceptor" crash-restraint, developed by
450-589: A chrome strip that mimicked the line of curved fenders. Exner later transferred the concept to the newly formed Stutz Motor Company brand, whose Blackhawk range was referred to as the Revival Car in the United States. The 1980 Cadillac Seville referenced the Hooper tail of the 1950s and the 1983 Lincoln Mark VII had a hint of a spare wheel bulge in the trunk lid. Retro design reached its first peak with
525-493: A driver's airbag as an option, but by 1999, even side airbags were available on several variants. Audi was late to offer airbag systems on a broader scale, since even in the 1994 model year, its popular models did not offer airbags. Instead, the German automaker until then relied solely on its proprietary cable-based procon-ten restraint system. Variable force-deployment front airbags were developed to help minimize injury from
600-523: A four-door panel van version of the HHR. Initially offered in LS, 1LT, and 2LT models with either a 2.2-liter or a 2.4-liter EcoTec Inline four-cylinder gasoline engine and a five-speed manual transmission, the HHR Panel Van featured a rear cargo management system in place of the standard HHR's rear split bench seat, deletion of the rear seatbelts and side SRS airbags , a plastic cargo floor in place of
675-682: A front center airbag; it deploys from the driver's seat. Hyundai Motor Group announced its development of a center-side airbag on September 18, 2019, installed inside the driver's seat. Some Volkswagen vehicles in 2022 equipped with center airbags include the ID.3 and the Golf . The Polestar 2 also includes a center airbag. With EuroNCAP updating its testing guidelines in 2020, European and Australian market vehicles increasingly use front-center airbags, rear torso airbags, and rear seat belt pre-tensioners. The second driver-side and separate knee airbag
750-659: A knee and torso cushion while also having a dual-stage deployment dictated by force of the impact. The cars equipped with ACRS had lap belts for all seating positions, but lacked shoulder belts. Shoulder belts were already mandatory in the United States on closed cars without airbags for the driver and outer front passenger, but GM chose to market its airbags as a substitute for shoulder belts. Prices for this option on Cadillac models were US$ 225 in 1974, $ 300 in 1975, and $ 340 in 1976 (US$ 1,820 in 2023 dollars ). The early development of airbags coincided with international interest in automobile safety legislation. Some safety experts advocated
825-632: A modern interpretation of the Shelby Cobra . This idea would later morph into the Dodge Viper . The Viper helped positively shape the American public's opinion on the Chrysler Corporation, prompting Lutz to further experiment with retro design, with early examples including the 1994 Dodge Ram , with styling inspired by previous Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks, and the 1995 Chrysler Atlantic , inspired by various art-deco cars of
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#1732764961555900-470: A new front passenger airbag technology. Developed by Autoliv and Honda R&D in Ohio, United States , this new airbag design features three inflatable chambers connected across the front by a "noninflatable sail panel." The two outer chambers are larger than the middle chamber. When the airbag deploys, the sail panel cushions the occupant's head from the impact of hitting the airbag, and the three chambers hold
975-498: A remote vehicle starter system (for vehicles equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission only), a single-pane power moonroof, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, the OnStar in-vehicle telematics system, front side seat-mounted SRS airbags, XM satellite radio , a Bluetooth hands-free telephone system which also included OnStar, and an ABS braking system . The HHR could also be ordered with many luxury amenities (depending upon
1050-549: A side-curtain airbag deploying from the roof on the Progrés . In 1998, the Volvo S80 was given roof-mounted curtain airbags to protect both front and rear passengers. Curtain airbags were then made standard equipment on all new Volvo cars from 2000 except for the first-generation C70 , which received an enlarged side-torso airbag that also protects the head of front-seat occupants. The second-generation C70 convertible received
1125-636: A spring, bumper contact, or by the driver. Later research during the 1960s showed that compressed air could not inflate the mechanical airbags fast enough to ensure maximum safety, leading to the current chemical and electrical airbags. In patent applications, manufacturers sometimes use the term "inflatable occupant restraint systems". Hetrick was an industrial engineer and member of the United States Navy . His airbag design, however, only came about when he combined his experiences working with navy torpedoes with his desire to protect his family on
1200-612: A standard driver-side airbag. The first known collision between two airbag-equipped automobiles took place on 12 March 1990 in Virginia , USA. A 1989 Chrysler LeBaron crossed the center line and hit another 1989 Chrysler LeBaron in a head-on collision , causing both driver airbags to deploy. The drivers suffered only minor injuries despite extensive damage to the vehicles. The United States Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 required passenger cars and light trucks built after 1 September 1998 to have airbags for
1275-412: A steering wheel, instrument panel, body pillar , headliner, and windshield . Modern vehicles may contain up to ten airbag modules in various configurations, including driver, passenger, side-curtain, seat-mounted, door-mounted, B and C-pillar mounted side-impact, knee bolster, inflatable seat belt, and pedestrian airbag modules. During a crash, the vehicle's crash sensors provide crucial information to
1350-408: A supplemental restraint system for the vehicle's seat belt systems. Newer side-impact airbag modules consist of compressed-air cylinders that are triggered in the event of a side-on vehicle impact. The first commercial designs were introduced in passenger automobiles during the 1970s, with limited success and caused some fatalities. Broad commercial adoption of airbags occurred in many markets during
1425-467: A switch can disable the feature in case the driver wants to take the vehicle off-road. In 2009, Toyota developed the first production rear-seat center airbag designed to reduce the severity of secondary injuries to rear passengers in a side collision. This system deploys from the rear center seat first appearing in on the Crown Majesta . In late 2012, General Motors with supplier Takata introduced
1500-428: A tilt-adjustable steering wheel, keyless entry, cloth seating surfaces, a folding rear bench seat (for standard HHR models only), manually-adjustable dual (front) bucket seats, a compact spare tire and wheel, air conditioning, and a five-speed manual transmission. Upper trim levels added features such as a multifunction steering wheel, a cruise control system, aluminum-alloy wheels (which were also polished on some models),
1575-626: A time as the chief designer of the Chevrolet brand. The HHR had a cargo-carrying capacity of 62.7 cubic feet (1.78 m). All models had a flat-load floor (passenger models have 60/40 split bench) and fold-flat front passenger seat. For the 2007 model year, it was available in four trim levels; LS, LT, 2LT, and Special Edition. A panel van variant was also made available in 2007 for only the LT trim and became available on all trim levels in 2008. A "Half Panel" (RPO code AA5) rear quarter window delete option
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#17327649615551650-443: A unique steering wheel that contained the driver-side airbag. Two of these cars were crash tested after 20 years and the airbags deployed perfectly. An early example of the airbag cars survives as of 2009. GM's Oldsmobile Toronado was the first domestic U.S. vehicle to include a passenger airbag in 1973. General Motors marketed its first airbag modules under the "Air Cushion Restraint System" name, or ACRS. The automaker discontinued
1725-402: Is a Neoclassic , a modern car made to resemble one from the 1920s-1930's. Technically, retro cars can differ greatly from the historical models they reference. As early as 1961, American designer Virgil Exner used elements of classic automobile design for the new models of Chrysler's top brand Imperial . The 1961 Imperials had free-standing headlights, and the sides of the cars featured
1800-597: Is credited independently to the American John W. Hetrick , who filed for an airbag patent on 5 August 1952, that was granted #2,649,311 by the United States Patent Office on 18 August 1953. German engineer Walter Linderer, who filed German patent #896,312 on 6 October 1951, was issued on 12 November 1953, approximately three months after American John Hetrick. The airbags proposed by Hetrick and Linderer were based on compressed air released by
1875-403: Is not related to active and passive safety , which are, respectively, systems designed to prevent collisions in the first place, and systems designed to minimize the effects of collisions once they occur. In this use, a car Anti-lock braking system qualifies as an active-safety device, while both its seat belts and airbags qualify as passive-safety devices. Terminological confusion can arise from
1950-509: The Chevrolet Onix , are often sold without airbags, as neither airbags nor automatic braking systems in new cars are compulsory in many Latin American countries. Some require the installation of a minimum of only two airbags in new cars which many in this market have. The Citroën C4 provided the first "shaped" driver airbag, made possible by this car's unusual fixed-hub steering wheel. In 2019, Honda announced it would introduce
2025-791: The Daihatsu Mira or the Subaru Vivio , have also been popular since the 1990s. The success of retro design in Japan is also due to the kawaii aesthetic. In 1994, a new version of the Volkswagen Beetle was presented as the “Volkswagen Concept one” study at the Detroit Motor Show. Since the reactions of trade fair visitors were positive, the concept was brought to the market in 1998 as the New Beetle , based on
2100-552: The Eaton, Yale & Towne company for Ford, was soon also offered as an automatic safety system in the United States, while the Italian Eaton-Livia company offered a variant with localized air cushions. In the early 1970s, General Motors began offering cars equipped with airbags, initially in government fleet-purchased 1973 Chevrolet Impala sedans. These cars came with a 1974-style Oldsmobile instrument panel and
2175-752: The Golf IV and without the typical Beetle rear engine. In Europe, this is considered the beginning of the retro wave, continuing in 1999 with the Jaguar S-Type , in 2000 with the Mini , in 2007 with the Fiat 500 and in 2009 with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG . American companies, notably Chrysler , were also experimenting with retro design throughout the 1990s. American retro design can be traced back to when car designer Bob Lutz intended to create
2250-672: The HHR SS Panel Concept on October 30, 2007, at the 2007 SEMA Show . This was made into a production model for the 2009 model year. The SS model was removed from the market after the 2010 model year due to the shuttering of the GM Performance Division, also known as the GM High Performance Vehicle Operations (HPVO) Group. In addition, GM phased out all GM badges from the front doors for the 2010.5 model year, including
2325-482: The Honda Legend . In 1988, Chrysler became the first United States automaker to fit a driver-side airbag as standard equipment, which was offered in six different models. The following year, Chrysler became the first US auto manufacturer to offer driver-side airbags in all its new passenger models. Chrysler also began featuring the airbags in advertisements showing how the devices had saved lives that helped
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2400-546: The Lancia Thesis consist of a mix of classic and modern design elements, without citing any specific historical vehicle. Despite a fall in popularity, retro design has made a comeback in the early 2020s, with cars such as the Renault 5 EV and Ford Bronco being developed. Supplementary Restraint System An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate in milliseconds during
2475-637: The Mazda MX-5 , which in its first form from 1989 to 1998, referenced the Lotus Elan from 1962 and was considered the first newly designed roadster in decades. Between 1989 and 1991, Nissan produced the retro-inspired 'Pike Cars'; the Nissan Be-1 , Nissan Pao , Nissan Figaro and Nissan S-Cargo in limited production, which are often credited as pioneers of the retro design trend. In Japan, retro packages for various small car models, such as
2550-695: The Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Red Line. On August 16, 2007, Chevrolet officially revealed the 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS Turbocharged at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Birmingham, Michigan . It was created by GM's Performance Division and introduced as a 2008 model in the fall of 2007. The SS Turbocharged features a 2.0 L (120 cu in) turbocharged Ecotec LNF I4 engine and intercooler that produces 260 bhp (190 kW) (235 bhp (175 kW) with
2625-650: The 1930s. Later American examples of retro design include the Plymouth Prowler in the style of a hot rod , the Chrysler PT Cruiser modelled on limousines of the 1930s and the Ford Thunderbird from 2003. An important designer of retro cars is J Mays . According to experts, retro design has brought back emotionality in automobile design. At the beginning of the 2000s, retro design developed into new classic design . Vehicles like
2700-475: The 2021 model year) for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W223) . The W223 S-Class is the first car equipped with rear seat airbags that use gas to inflate supporting structures that unfold and extend a bag that fills with ambient air, instead of conventional fully gas-inflated airbags that are widely used in automotive airbag systems. Essentially, two types of side airbags are commonly used today -
2775-625: The Chevrolet HHR. In the fourth quarter of 2010, Chevrolet announced that the HHR would be discontinued after the 2011 model year, with the last HHRs available in dealerships starting in late January to early February. HHRs were also available for fleet order until May 2011. Flex-Fuel (E85) was added to the 2.2 & 2.4 engines for the 2009 model year; these were the first four-cylinder Flex-Fuel engines from GM in North America. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests
2850-504: The HHR received a "Good" overall score in the frontal offset crash test, and an "Acceptable" score in side impacts on models equipped with side curtain airbags. Side curtain airbags became standard for 2008 models. However, side torso airbags were never made available. Retro-style automobile A retro-style automobile is a vehicle that is styled to appear like cars from previous decades. Often these cars use modern technology and production techniques. This design trend developed in
2925-565: The United States in the 1970s. When seat-belt usage rates in the country were quite low compared to modern-day, Ford built experimental cars with airbags in 1971. Allstate operated a fleet of 200 Mercury Montereys and showed the reliability of airbags as well as their operation in crash testing, which also was promoted by the insurance company in popular magazine advertisements. General Motors followed in 1973 using full-sized Chevrolet vehicles. The early fleet of experimental GM vehicles equipped with airbags experienced seven fatalities, one of which
3000-536: The airbag as a seat-belt replacement, and the bags are now nominally designated as supplemental restraint systems ( SRS ) or supplemental inflatable restraints. In 1981, Mercedes-Benz introduced the airbag in West Germany as an option on its flagship saloon model, S-Class (W126) . In the Mercedes system, the sensors automatically tensioned the seat belts to reduce occupants' motion on impact and then deployed
3075-416: The airbag electronic controller unit (ECU), including collision type, angle, and severity of impact. Using this information, the airbag ECU's crash algorithm determines if the crash event meets the criteria for deployment and triggers various firing circuits to deploy one or more airbag modules within the vehicle. Airbag module deployments are activated through a pyrotechnic process designed to be used once as
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3150-585: The airbag itself. The emergence of the airbag has contributed to a sharp decline in the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads of Europe since 1990, and by 2010, the number of cars on European roads lacking an airbag represented a very small percentage of cars, mostly the remaining cars dating from the mid-1990s or earlier. Many new cars in Latin America, including the Kia Rio , Kia Picanto , Hyundai Grand i10 , Mazda 2 , Chevrolet Spark and
3225-453: The airbag on impact. This integrated the seat belts and the airbag into a restraint system, rather than the airbag being considered an alternative to the seat belt. In 1987, the Porsche 944 Turbo became the first car to have driver and passenger airbags as standard equipment. The Porsche 944 and 944S had this as an available option. The same year also had the first airbag in a Japanese car,
3300-618: The airbag to its model ranges in 1992. Citroën , Fiat , Nissan , Hyundai , Peugeot , Renault , and Volkswagen followed shortly afterwards. By 1999, finding a new mass-market car without an airbag at least as optional equipment was difficult, and some late 1990s products, such as the Volkswagen Golf Mk4 , also featured side airbags. The Peugeot 306 is one example of the European automotive mass-market evolution: starting in early 1993, most of these models did not even offer
3375-469: The airbag was installed in a few experimental Ford cars. In 1964, a Japanese automobile engineer, Yasuzaburou Kobori (小堀保三郎), started developing an airbag "safety net" system. His design harnessed an explosive to inflate an airbag, for which he was later awarded patents in 14 countries. He died in 1975, before seeing the widespread adoption of airbag systems. In 1967, a breakthrough in developing airbag crash sensors came when Allen K. Breed invented
3450-598: The backrest of the front seats and protect the head and the torso. In 1997, the BMW 7 Series and 5 Series were fitted with tubular-shaped head side airbags (inflatable tubular structure), the "Head Protection System (HPS)" as standard equipment. This airbag was designed to offer head protection in side impact collisions and also maintained inflation for up to seven seconds for rollover protection. However, this tubular-shaped airbag design has been quickly replaced by an inflatable 'curtain' airbag. In May 1998, Toyota began offering
3525-635: The curtain airbags are programmed to deploy during some/all frontal impacts to manage passenger kinetics (e.g. head hitting B-pillar on the rebound), especially in offset crashes such as the IIHS's small overlap crash test. Roll-sensing curtain airbags are designed to stay inflated for a longer duration of time, cover a larger proportion of the window, and be deployed in a roll-over crash. They offer protection to occupants' heads and help to prevent ejection. SUVs and pickups are more likely to be equipped with RSCAs due to their higher probability of rolling over and often
3600-433: The door. These airbags are designed to reduce the risk of injury to the pelvic and lower abdomen regions. Most vehicles are now being equipped with different types of designs, to help reduce injury and ejection from the vehicle in rollover crashes. More recent side-airbag designs include a two-chamber system; a firmer lower chamber for the pelvic region and softer upper chamber for the ribcage. Swedish company Autoliv AB
3675-581: The driver and the front passenger. In the United States, NHTSA estimated that airbags had saved over 4,600 lives by 1 September 1999; however, the crash deployment experience of the early 1990s installations indicated that some fatalities and serious injuries were in fact caused by airbags. In 1998, NHTSA initiated new rules for advanced airbags that gave automakers more flexibility in devising effective technological solutions. The revised rules also required improved protection for occupants of different sizes regardless of whether they use seat belts, while minimizing
3750-412: The driver's knees and legs and a knee airbag worked well." Since then certain models have also included front-passenger knee airbags, which deploy near or over the glove compartment in a crash. Knee airbags are designed to reduce leg injury. The knee airbag has become increasingly common since 2000. In 2008, the new Toyota iQ microcar featured the first production rear-curtain shield airbag to protect
3825-444: The early 1990s and led to almost all automobile brands introducing models that referenced previous cars of the 1950s and 1960s. Retro design usually references iconic classic vehicles. Another form of adopting classic style elements comes in the form of Revival Cars , with manufacturers such as Jaguar , Aston Martin , Alvis , Allard and Lister producing reproductions of classic models. Another example of classic inspired design
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#17327649615553900-426: The fact that passive devices and systems—those requiring no input or action by the vehicle occupant—can operate independently in an active manner; an airbag is one such device. Vehicle safety professionals are generally careful in their use of language to avoid this sort of confusion. However, advertising principles sometimes prevent such semantic caution in the consumer marketing of safety features. Further confusing
3975-455: The first SUV to offer a driver-side airbag when it was launched in 1992. Driver and passenger airbags became standard equipment in all Dodge Intrepid , Eagle Vision , and Chrysler Concorde sedans ahead of any safety regulations. Early 1993 saw the 4-millionth airbag-equipped Chrysler vehicle roll off the assembly line. In October 1993, the Dodge Ram became the first pickup truck with
4050-450: The late 1980s and early 1990s. Many modern vehicles now include six or more units. Airbags are considered "passive" restraints and act as a supplement to "active" restraints. Because no action by a vehicle occupant is required to activate or use the airbag, it is considered a "passive" device. This is in contrast to seat belts , which are considered "active" devices because the vehicle occupant must act to enable them. This terminology
4125-639: The occupant's head in place, like a catcher's mitt. The goal of the tri-chamber airbag is to help "arrest high-speed movement" of the head, thereby reducing the likelihood of concussion injuries in a collision. The first vehicle to come with the tri-chamber airbag installed from the factory was in 2020 (for the 2021 model year) for the Acura TLX . Honda hopes that the new technology will soon make its way to all vehicles. Mercedes began offering rear passengers protection in frontal collisions in September 2020 (for
4200-399: The option for its 1977 model year , citing a lack of consumer interest. Ford and GM then spent years lobbying against air-bag requirements, claiming that the devices were unfeasible and inappropriate. Chrysler made driver-side airbags standard on 1988 and 1989 models, but airbags did not become widespread in American cars until the early 1990s. Airbags for passenger cars were introduced in
4275-495: The optional 4-speed automatic), race-tuned high-performance suspension, five-speed manual transmission with short-throw shifter, standard four-wheel antilock disc brakes, ground effects with unique front and rear fascias, aggressive black cross-mesh grille, liftgate-mounted aero spoiler, an analog A-pillar-mounted titanium boost gauge, leather-wrapped steering wheel with mounted audio controls, and unique 18 in (460 mm) high-polished aluminum wheels. Chevrolet also introduced
4350-456: The public know the value of them and safety became a selling advantage in the late 1980s. All versions of the Chrysler minivans came with airbags starting for the 1991 model year. In 1993, The Lincoln Motor Company boasted that all vehicles in their model line were equipped with dual airbags, one for the driver's side and another for the passenger's side. The 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee became
4425-500: The rear doors could still be opened from the interior of the vehicle. The HHR Panel Van can be distinguished from a standard HHR by a 'PANEL' emblem on the left side of the rear tailgate. For the 2009 model year , Chevrolet introduced a Panel Van version of the HHR SS Turbocharged model, which included a 2.0L EcoTec Turbocharged Inline Four-Cylinder (I4) gasoline engine and a five-speed manual transmission. This model
4500-512: The rear occupants' heads in the event of a rear-end impact. Another feature of the Toyota iQ was a seat-cushion airbag in the passenger seat to prevent the pelvis from diving below the lap belt during a frontal impact or submarining. Later Toyota models such as the Yaris added the feature to the driver's seat, as well. The seat-belt airbag is designed to better distribute the forces experienced by
4575-420: The risk to infants, children, and other occupants caused by airbags. In Europe , airbags were almost unheard of until the early 1990s. By 1991, four manufacturers – BMW , Honda , Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo – offered the airbag on some of their higher-end models, but shortly afterward, airbags became a common feature on more mainstream cars, with Ford and Vauxhall / Opel among the manufacturers to introduce
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#17327649615554650-423: The road. Despite working with the major automobile manufacturers of his time, Hetrick was unable to attract investment. Although airbags are now required in every automobile sold in the United States, Hetrick's 1951 patent filing serves as an example of a "valuable" invention with little economic value to its inventor. Its first commercial use was not implemented until after the patent expired in 1971, at which point
4725-476: The side-torso airbag and the side-curtain airbag. More recently, center airbags are becoming more common in the European market. Most vehicles equipped with side-curtain airbags also include side-torso airbags. However, some, such as the Chevrolet Cobalt , 2007–09 model Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra , and 2009–12 Dodge Ram do not feature the side-torso airbag. From around 2000, side-impact airbags became commonplace on even low- to mid-range vehicles, such as
4800-525: The smaller-engined versions of the Ford Fiesta and Peugeot 206 , and curtain airbags were also becoming regular features on mass-market cars. The Toyota Avensis , launched in 2003, was the first mass-market car to be sold in Europe with nine airbags. Side-impact airbags or side-torso airbags are a category of airbags usually located in the seat or door panel, and inflate between the seat occupant and
4875-422: The standard HHR's rear carpeting, the deletion of the rear carpeted floor mats (HHR Panel Vans still included front passenger area carpeting and carpeted floor mats), and plastic panels in place of the standard HHR's rear door and quarter windows (the rear tailgate window of the standard HHR remained in place, and could still be ordered with a rear window defroster). The rear exterior door handles were removed, though
4950-472: The terminology, the aviation safety community uses the terms "active" and "passive" in the opposite sense from the automotive industry. The airbag "for the covering of aeroplane and other vehicle parts" traces its origins to a United States patent, submitted in 1919 by two dentists from Birmingham , Arthur Parrott and Harold Round. The patent was approved in 1920. Air-filled bladders were in use as early as 1951. The airbag specifically for automobile use
5025-442: The trim level selected), such as a power-adjustable front driver's seat, a Pioneer seven-speaker premium audio system with an external amplifier and rear cargo area-mounted subwoofer , luxury leather-trimmed seating surfaces with dual heated front seats, front-mounted fog lamps, power-adjustable and heated exterior side mirrors, and a six-disc, in-dash CD/MP3 changer with USB integration. Between 2007 and 2011, Chevrolet offered
5100-428: The world's first door-mounted, side-curtain airbags that deployed upwards. Curtain airbags have been said to reduce brain injury or fatalities by up to 45% in a side impact with an SUV. These airbags come in various forms (e.g., tubular, curtain, door-mounted) depending on the needs of the application. Many recent SUVs and MPVs have a long inflatable curtain airbag that protects all rows of seats. In many vehicles,
5175-399: Was available in the 2008 to 2010 model years. Every HHR came well-equipped with many standard features. These included power windows and door locks (front for the HHR Panel Van and front and rear for the standard HHR), dual front SRS airbags , a Driver Information Center, an A/M-F/M stereo radio with a single-disc CD/MP3 player and an auxiliary audio input jack, a four-speaker audio system,
5250-452: Was granted a patent on side-impact airbags, and they were first offered as an option in 1994 on the 1995 Volvo 850 , and as standard equipment on all Volvo cars made after 1995. In 1997, Saab introduced the first combined head and torso airbags with the launch of the Saab 9-5 . Some cars, such as the 2010 Volkswagen Polo Mk.5 have combined head- and torso-side airbags. These are fitted in
5325-431: Was inspired by the late-1940s/early 1950s Chevrolet cars and trucks, specifically the 1947 Chevrolet Suburban and Advance Design pickups, with large, square fender flares and a hemispherical grille. The design of the HHR has been credited to Bryan Nesbitt who was a former designer at Chrysler where he was the lead designer of the Chrysler PT Cruiser . Nesbitt was recruited by GM to join its design staff and served for
5400-485: Was later suspected to have been caused by the airbag. In 1974, GM made its ACRS system (which consisted of a padded lower dashboard and a passenger-side air bag) available as a regular production option (RPO code AR3) in full-sized Cadillac, Buick and Oldsmobile models. The GM cars from the 1970s equipped with ACRS had a driver-side airbag, and a driver-side knee restraint. The passenger-side airbag protected both front passengers, and unlike most modern systems, integrated
5475-415: Was only offered for a single model year , having been discontinued in 2010 along with the standard HHR SS Turbocharged model. The HHR was assembled in Ramos Arizpe , Mexico, and was available for sale throughout North America. The HHR was also exported to Japan by way of the motor vehicles business unit of Mitsui . First year sales exceeded 93,000 through June 2006. The HHR was partially sold in Europe and
5550-604: Was replaced by the Chevrolet Orlando . In early 2009, the HHR was discontinued from the Mexican lineup due to poor sales. In October 2006, Cheryl Catton, director of car marketing and retail integration for Chevy, confirmed that a high-performance variant of the HHR would be built. The vehicle was expected to be released with SS moniker for the 2008 model year and use the Ecotec LNF turbocharged engine found in
5625-538: Was used in the Kia Sportage SUV and has been standard equipment since then. The airbag is located beneath the steering wheel. The Toyota Caldina introduced the first driver-side SRS knee airbag on the Japanese market in 2002. Toyota Avensis became the first vehicle sold in Europe equipped with a driver's knee airbag. The EuroNCAP reported on the 2003 Avensis, "There has been much effort to protect
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