Tiger Woods might’ve been way more seriously injured had he been driving anything else, because the SUV was top of the line in terms of safety.
A lot of attention has been paid to what kind of car Tiger was in Tuesday when he rolled over in Rancho Palos Verdes, and though it was totaled … the 2021 Genesis GV80 has all the bells and whistles of 21st-century road safety you’d want in a car retailing for $47k to $60k, depending on the model. It’s a fair guess Tiger’s was fully loaded.
The whip comes in all-wheel-drive ride by default … so torque is sent to all four wheels instead of just 2, giving the driver more control on the road. That’s assisted with a built-in Electronic Stability Control and Traction Control System.
Perhaps most important is what’s featured inside … namely 10 standard airbags, that essentially turn the car into a pillow in the event of an accident. There’s also an extra airbag up front that sits in the center console, between driver and passenger.
2/23/21
BACKGRID
From the looks of the aftermath, it sure looks like most of those airbags went off … something that almost certainly lessened the damage to Tiger’s body.
Granted, he’s still dealing with a gruesome leg injury — but it could’ve been so much worse.
Now, as crunched as the GV80 appeared yesterday … you could argue the structure actually held up pretty well considering the impact. That’s not a surprise once you know it uses high-strength steel for the roof, transmission tunnel, front chassis extensions and parts of the rear structure.
With all that in mind … this machine might have been worth it off the lot. Of course, Tiger’s was a loaner as Genesis was the title sponsor of the golf event that brought him to town.