The ability to innovate with all car models
Faurecia ensures that its products will provide the necessary safety, from the development phase through to mass production. Its teams work on active, passive and pedestrian safety.
Applications in Faurecia's various business lines
Innovations spearheaded by Faurecia include the essential "RALF" (Reinforced Airbag Lid in Foam). This solution has been fitted into the instrument panel of the Mercedes S Class, Renault Laguna III and Opel Insignia, and optimizes how the airbag is deployed in case of an accident.
Faurecia also produces the seats in the Volkswagen Polo and combines the top of the backrest with headrests to deliver the best possible protection if the car is hit from behind. Head/chest airbags built into the side of the front seats’ backrests offer protection against side impacts. ISOFIX attachment points on the rear seat help secure child safety seats. Safety has been a longstanding area of work at Faurecia, leading to such innovations as the seats in the Renault Laguna II (2001), the first vehicle to score five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests.
The front bumper of the Citroën C3 includes space-saving energy absorption features to minimise the impact of crashes. The car clearly meets the safety requirements implicit in the new European standards governing pedestrian impacts. Euro NCAP actually gave the C3 the maximum score (6/6) in its "pedestrian legform tests".
Active and passive safety systems
Faurecia's R&D centers develop safety systems for each product line. They address both active safety, which aims to prevent accidents, and passive safety, which attempts to protect the driver and passengers in case of a crash through the development of materials and integrated systems.
Faurecia invests considerable resources into biomechanical research (accident analysis, resistance of the human body to dynamic loads, and so on) to optimize the FCS (Faurecia Care Systems).
The Group works in partnership with automakers and crash analysis institutes to produce new safety innovations.