Recently awarded a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze introduces a new strain of supplemental restraint technology to the automotive realm in the form of a driver-side air bag that features a more efficient flexible-venting configuration. Unlike its conventional counterpart that uses individual inflators for low-speed and high-speed crash events, this new "smart bag" in the 2013 Cruze only requires a single inflator to handle both functions. Co-developed by GM and its safety restraint supplier, Takata, it allows the system to be lighter and more compact than the one used in the 2012 Cruze while also being less expensive. More importantly, the new bag’s innovative flexible vent configuration further reduces the risk of inflation-induced injury thanks to its ability to more effectively dissipate the driver’s forward momentum in any type of impact.
"This new air bag technology is a smart way to manage crash forces, and is an integral part of Cruze’s continued success in safety testing," said Gary Kent, GM general director of vehicle safety and crashworthiness. "The latest safety rating reflects the confidence we have in its new and carry-over safety technologies and overall crashworthiness."
