Ford’s Mustang muscle car is debuting a new passenger air bag which cuts down on weight and increases interior space.
Unlike a conventional front passenger airbag, which is integrated into a car’s instrument panel, Ford’s new idea revolves around incorporating a knee airbag into the lining of the passenger glovebox.
As well as eliminating intrusive space on the instrument panel, the new air bag is 65 per cent lighter than a conventional airbag and measures just 46cm in length and 28cm in width. Although it is more lightweight and saves space, Ford claims that it offers comparable protection to a conventional knee airbag.
The construction of the new airbag is also unique as it utilises a moulded plastic design instead of textile fabric. If a collision is detected then a small gas generator inside the glovebox initiates the airbag in a matter of milliseconds – 20 milliseconds in fact.
Ford restraints manager, Sean West, commented on the new airbag design: “This is a new way of thinking about airbags. We went back to the drawing board and in the course of a year went through hundreds of prototypes to get it just right. With this design we were able to combine the functions of two separate parts into one single part to save on space, weight and components; and move the instrument panel further forward, ensuring there was more room for the front passenger.”
The new Ford Mustang is available with either a 2.3-litre EcoBoost or 5.0-litre V8 engine and starts from £29,995.
