Hyundai Dominates IIHS Safety Ratings with Most Top-Rated Cars

Hyundai Motor Group has produced the safest cars in the collision evaluation by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States. Thanks to the addition of Hyundai’s popular midsize sports utility vehicle (SUV) model, Santa Fe, and midsize sedan model, Sonata, the list of officially recognized safe models has increased to 18.

According to the IIHS on the 3rd, Hyundai’s 2024 Santa Fe and Sonata models recently achieved the Top Safety Pick (TSP) rating in the IIHS collision evaluation. They passed the strengthened evaluation criteria with good scores. The IIHS stated, “The standard forward collision avoidance system of Santa Fe and Sonata received a good evaluation of pedestrian protection.”

The IIHS is a non-profit organization established in 1959. Every year, it comprehensively evaluates the collision stability and collision prevention performance of vehicles launched in the U.S. market and announces the results. Vehicles that demonstrate the highest safety are given a TSP+ rating, and those with good scores are given a TSP rating.

In addition, the Ioniq 5 has been upgraded from the TSP rating to the TSP+ rating. This is a result of improved safety for rear-seat passengers. To receive a TSP+ rating, a vehicle must achieve the highest rating of “Good” in four collision safety evaluations: driver’s side small overlap, passenger’s side small overlap, frontal collision, and side collision. Also, it must receive a rating of “Acceptable” or higher in the day and night forward collision avoidance system test (vehicle and pedestrian), and the headlight evaluation must receive a “Marginal” or higher rating across all trims of the vehicle.

With the addition of Santa Fe and Sonata, the number of models that received a TSP or higher rating from the Hyundai Motor Group has become the highest among global automobile groups, with 18. Specifically, Hyundai and Genesis have 9 and 7, respectively, and Kia has 2. Models that received a TSP+ rating are Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Kona, Genesis G80 EV model, GV80, GV60, and Kia Telluride.

Cole Stutz, Chief Safety Officer (CSO) of Hyundai Motor America (HMA), said, “We are very proud that Santa Fe and Sonata have received the TSP rating,” and added, “Hyundai is doing its best to develop safe vehicles for the protection of not only drivers but also road users.”