Golfing fans will likely remember where they were on February 23 when they heard about Tiger Woods surviving a single-vehicle accident just outside of Los Angeles. The athlete suffered multiple leg fractures creating speculation over the fate of his golfing career. But it could have been worse, according to car enthusiast and YouTuber Elliot Alvis. Moreover, he points out in an episode released Wednesday, the Genesis GV80 SUV that Woods was driving at the time was likely responsible for saving his life.
Driver-Assist And Adaptive Cruise Control
When Genesis started manufacturing the GV80, it made a point of adding as many safety features as possible, such as driver-assist and adaptive cruise control components that ensure the vehicle stays as close to the middle of a lane as possible. Its display screen is large and sharp enough to catch valuable details fast enough to avoid instances of distracted driving. Another screen on the dash behind the steering wheel offers a wide shot of the driver's blind spot.
But the feature that Alvis believes really saved the golfer's life were the 10 airbags in both the front and rear seats. In Woods's case, the airbags on the driver's side door and between the two front seats were most critical. Alvis surmises that, when deployed, the bags cocooned the golfer to prevent any injuries to the top half of his body.
GV80 Cheaper Than European SUVs
Safety was one of the selling points Genesis had in mind when it rolled out the GV80 in 2020. Another consideration was the price, with the SUV going for as low as the $50,000 mark, far cheaper than comparable models that European automakers put on the road.
As far as what's under the hood to help people get around, the GV80 has a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine putting out 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. Premium-edition GV80s come with a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine with 375 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. Both models have the same safety features, though.
Currently Not Ranked For Safety
"This car is the very reason that Tiger Woods is still alive today," said Alvis.
"Believe it or not, the Genesis GV80 is so new it's still not currently ranked by the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) and those are the people that give out the crash test safety ratings for all new vehicles. But with a major rollover involving a celebrity, that's kind of all you need on your resume to show me that it's a safe car."
Source: Eliott Alvis