There’s no denying that cars are safer than ever. While some argue that they get dented too easily, that’s all for the sake of taking off the violent forces of a crash away from the vehicle’s occupants. Cars also have stronger chassis that can take on fairly brutal smashes, and now we have active safety systems to help prevent accidents from happening in the first place.
But over in GAC, its latest plug-in hybrid minivan has a different kind of 360-degree protection. No, we’re not talking about cameras, sensors, or lasers here. In this case, we’re on about airbags here.
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More cars have been getting at least four airbags these days, and that’s for the front and the side. We also have side curtain airbags that brings that number up to six, and some even offer airbags between the front and rear driver’s seat, as well as for the driver’s knees. Mercedes-Benz even has airbags for the rear passengers, which is available in the S-Class.
That said, GAC’s rear airbag is totally different in concept from Mercedes-Benz. That’s because the E9 PHEV has a curtain airbag for the tailgate. When you think about it, it makes sense because there might be someone seated in the third row in a rear-end accident. The airbag adds a layer of protection and should shield the rearmost occupants from shattered glass.
Of course, not every car needs one since not everything has three-row seating. But it’s still an interesting and potentially life-saving feature to have in vans in MPVs. We reckon that adding an airbag back there isn’t cheap, but if the idea catches on, we might see more three-row vehicles with this feature in the future.
