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| With the Twin-Chamber system, a physical gap between the two chambers gives the passenger's head a place to go, reducing the chance of contact with the face. (Illustration: Toyota Canada) |
Though no wheels were reinvented with Toyota's Twin-Chamber airbag, the system is a simple idea that surprisingly is a world first. The goal is to make riding in the front passenger's seat safer, reducing the potential for injury from the airbag itself. In case of a collision, the airbag deploys into two chambers separated by a depression down the centre of the airbag. When the passenger makes contact with the airbag, the force of the impact is directed to the chest, shoulders and to a lesser extent, the face. This differs from current single-unit airbags that put a great amount of force on the face (nose and cheek) and neck; with the Twin-Chamber system, a physical gap between the two chambers gives the passenger's head a place to go, reducing the chance of contact with the face.
To promote its luxury division's latest new car, and to bolster its image as a safe carmaker, Lexus will offer the new airbag system on the 2006
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| While the new IS will be the first car to feature the system, it is expected that it will spread to other Toyota and Lexus models. (Photo: Toyota Canada) |
Lexus IS series. A global model, the IS will be sold in North America, Europe and starting this summer, Japan - this new airbag will be one of its safety-related highlights. With the Twin-Chamber airbag doing its job to reduce crash forces, expect the IS to be a 5-star performer in international crash tests. While the new IS will be the first car to feature the system, it is expected that it will spread to other Lexus models including the new GS and soon to be updated LS. Eventually, it is expected that Toyota's namesake vehicles plus the youth-oriented, budget-friendly Scion (U.S.-only) brand will receive the Twin-Chamber airbag system. The twin-Chamber equipped IS is expected to hit the market later this year.
