Ford tries to be as innovative in safety as it is in donsizing, so it introduces another important feature on its cars. We all remember that Ford is the first car manufacturer to be using an airbag equipped seatbelt for the back passengers, a feature available in the new Mondeo.
Now, the Blue Oval annunces that the Ford Mustang will become the first vehicle to be equipped with a new type of knee airbag that is integrated within the lid of the glove box, instead of the instrument panel, preserving maximum passenger space.
Rather than a textile fabric airbag, the technology consists of an innovative moulded plastic design, sandwiched between the outer and inner glove box lid surfaces.
Just 46cm long and 28cm wide, the glove box airbag weighs 65 per cent less than a conventional knee airbag but offers comparable protection. In the event of a collision, a tiny gas generator inside the glove box lid inflates the bladder in just 20 milliseconds, pushing the lid exterior outwards to provide leg protection. Weight reduction improves fuel efficiency and the innovation has so far been granted 23 patents.
Altogether the all-new Ford Mustang is equipped with eight airbags as standard and has been awarded the highest-possible safety standard by North American authorities.
