Re: Euro airbags

[ScharfR@aol.com]

In a message dated 97-05-29 08:58:35 EDT, quk@sievers.com (Phil Payne)
writes:

<< I heard at one point that there was a difference between Euro and US
airbags - 
 that the US bags are much larger and more powerful because they're based on
the 
 premise that the occupant is not using the seatbelt.
 
 Is this true?  Would there perhaps be some point in fitting Euro airbags? >>

The Euro-bag is an artifact of VW's decision to develop a cost-optimized air
bag solution for lower priced cars in the European market, where seat belt
use is mandatory _and_ enforced.  The Euro-bags (driver and passenger) are
indeed smaller.  They also have a different/higher deployment threshold
since, when the occupant is properly belted, there is less need for an air
bag's protection in moderate speed crashes.

For cars in the VW price class, the cost saving was deemed worth pursuing.
 In general, premium cars (or brands with such aspirations) have continued to
use U.S. style bags.  To my knowledge, Audi has never used the Euro-bags,
anywhere.  However, VW did develop a driver's side retrofit kit for many of
their cars.  I think it was a nearly self-contained solution, needing little
more than the new steering wheel/air bag combination, which incorporated the
sensors, etc.  Would it fit an Audi? Maybe.

At the end of the day, I think that even VW realized that developing two
completely different air bag systems for all of their car lines was cost
inefficient.  That, plus the ever-declining price of standard air bag
components, probably led them to go with full size air bags in all
applications.