Great Bones: Why Advanced High Strength Steel is Hyundai's true advantage

Structure is everything.

Whether we're talking about anatomy, an organization, or even a home, having a great structure optimized for the application is very important. It means that people can perform at their best, an organization can move forward together, and that a house will remain standing for decades to come.

With automobiles, that means steel structure that makes up the vehicle. The stronger the steel, the lighter it is, and the better the structure is made, the better. That's what makes modern Hyundai vehicles special.

Today's new generation of Hyundai models use a material in their vehicle structures called Advanced High Strength Steel, or AHSS. And this new generation steel gives the company that metal edge that the Korean automaker needs to lead.

What is Advanced High Strength Steel?

Every production car starts life as rolls of steel, and not all are created equal. Hyundai wanted only the best, a material known as Advanced High Strength Steel.

Generally speaking, AHSS is any steel that exceeds normal standards for tensile strength in terms of pressure and is usually measured in megapascals or MPa. Compared to regular mild steel, Hyundai's Advanced High Strength Steel has double the tensile strength compared to regular steel but is 10% lighter.

Combined with Hyundai's monocoque frames that are designed for maximum strength, the base of Hyundai's new generation of vehicles like the Tucson and Santa Fe, the latter using 68% AHSS, are much stronger than before but weighs less.

Hyundai also has the added edge because they're the only major global automaker with their own steel business: Hyundai Steel. That means they can produce their own steel to their own very high standards of quality.

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So how does AHSS translate to better Hyundai automobiles? Let's count the reasons why.

1. A Safer Drive

The real key strength of Hyundai's new monocoques that are starting to use more and more of their Advanced High Strength Steel is ultimately in safety. By using the stronger steel in key areas for the passenger compartment, passive safety is greatly enhanced because of the improvement in body rigidity.

Together with the hot stamping and advances in automotive structural design to deflect and mitigate impacts, Hyundai has made their new generation of cars and SUVs much safer for their customers, and they've proved it in many crash tests.

2. An Eco-Friendly Drive

Hyundai AHSS means the overall monocoque frame is lighter than if they used industry-standard steel. That lightness translates to better fuel efficiency because there is less mass for the engine to have to bear.

The lighter the workload for Hyundai's advanced engines whether diesel or petrol, the less fuel consumed in the long run.

3. A Better Drive

But for those that truly enjoy driving, the great benefit of Hyundai's Advanced High Strength Steel is in the drive itself. A vehicle's ability to take corners with confidence depends largely on its rigidity; the stronger the vehicle's monocoque, the better it will handle.

The increased use of Hyundai AHSS in their vehicles means their cars and crossovers have better torsional rigidity for better cornering and more spirited steering. Add the fact that weight is generally reduced because of AHSS, it also means that acceleration and performance are improved, leading to a more exhilarating drive.

But don't just take our word for it. Visit your nearest Hyundai dealer and experience the advantage of Hyundai's Advanced High Strength Steel technology. You can feel Hyundai's metal advantage by driving anything from the game-changing Accent, green IONIQ Hybrid, the enjoyable Veloster, versatile Kona and Tucson, all the way up to the luxurious Santa Fe and Palisade.