- 1,910kg kerb weight
- 90 per cent AOP scores
- India launch uncertain for now
The Hyundai Nexo is an official pilot test vehicle for the government of India. While this hydrogen-powered SUV undergoes feasibility tests here, Euro NCAP has published its crash test results. The Nexo FCEV secured a full five-star rating in possibly the strictest NCAP protocol. Let’s take a complete look at its scores.
Weighing in at 1,910kg, the 2025 iteration of the Hyundai Nexo was subjected to these rigorous tests. It secured 90 per cent in AOP, 85 per cent in COP, 76 per cent in VRU, and 80 per cent in safety assist tests. All this may look new, and we will take an initiative to briefly explain the same.
Adult Occupant Protection (AOP)
AOP in Euro NCAP protocols is spread across these tests – frontal impact, lateral impact, rear impact, and rescue and extrication. This is a 40-point criterion, and the Nexo scored 36.3/40, bringing the percentage to 90. Let’s break it down.
- The Nexo scored 14.13/16 in frontal impact tests.
- Lateral impact scores stood at 15/16.
- A 4/4 score was achieved for rear impact tests.
- 3/4 for rescue and extrication, wherein safety tech like a rescue sheet, advanced eCall for crash alerts, multi-collision brake, and submergence check come into play. The Nexo was rated as compliant for the latter, allowing occupants to escape in an event of submersion.
Child Occupant Protection (COP)
The Nexo scored 42/49 points, bringing the percentage to 85.
Dummies for six- and 10-year-old children were used to carry out these tests. This test is bifurcated into frontal and lateral impact tests. The Nexo secured a full 24/24 score for the same.
- Frontal impact – 16/16; all body parts were protected with a ‘good’ rating.
- Lateral impact – 8/8; all body parts were protected with a good rating.
Restraints: Cybex Solution T i-Fix for the six-year-old child, and Graco Booster Basic R129 for the 10-year-old child.
Safety Features
The Nexo fared marginally on this front, securing 6/13 points. It gets basic features like second row ISOFIX mounts, i-size (European safety standard that categorises car seats based on the child’s height rather than the weight), and a top tether, but misses out on an integrated CRS (Child Restraint System), child presence detection, and second row centre seats for the child.
CRS Installation Check
The Nexo secured 12/12 points, with installation of CRS rated as easy for available mounts.
VRU (Vulnerable Road Users)
The Nexo scored 76 per cent here, and a breakdown details the numbers.
- VRU impact protection: 23.4/36
- VRU impact mitigation: 24.6/27
- AEB pedestrian: 7.7/9
- AEB cyclist: 7.1/8
- Cyclist dooring prevention: 0.8/1
- AEB motorcyclist: 6/6
- Lane support motorcyclist: 3/3
The Nexo has bonnet actuators that deploy the bonnet open in case of an impact. Hence, these tests were conducted with the bonnet in its deployed position.
Safety Assist
On-board safety tech was given a 14.4/20 score, with the percentage coming to 80.
- Speed assist: 2.2/3
- Occupant status monitoring: 2.2/3
- Lane support: 3/3
- AEB car-to-car: 7/9
The Hyundai Nexo’s ADAS systems encompass AEB, LKA, and driver drowsiness detection, and these safety systems passed the said tests with good ratings.
Underpinned by a 150kW fuel cell, the Nexo promises 826km on a single tank. However, an India launch looks uncertain, at least for now.
