Record 21 Models Named "Safest Cars"
Ioniq 9 and EV9 Achieve Top Ratings in All Categories
Hyundai Motor Group has achieved outstanding results in the most prestigious crash safety evaluation in the United States, surpassing its competitors. The flagship large electric SUV, Hyundai Motor Company's Ioniq 9, and Kia's EV9 both received the highest ratings in all assessment categories.
On December 23, Hyundai Motor Group announced that, according to the crash safety evaluation results released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Genesis G80 and Kia Sorento earned the "Top Safety Pick Plus (TSP+)" rating, while the Hyundai Motor Company Palisade received the "Top Safety Pick (TSP)" rating. This brings the group’s annual cumulative total to 21 models worldwide that have received TSP+ or TSP ratings, the highest among all global automotive groups. Volkswagen and Honda tied for second place, with only nine models each.
Hyundai Motor Group has set a record for the most models selected as the "safest cars" for two consecutive years, and the number of models awarded the TSP+ rating increased significantly from 12 last year to 18 this year.
The models that received the TSP+ rating include eight from Hyundai Motor Company: Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Ioniq 9, Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, Avante (sold as Elantra in the U.S.), and Sonata; five from Kia: EV9, Sportage, Sorento, Telluride, and K4; and five from Genesis: GV60, GV70, Electrified GV70, GV80, and G80.
For the TSP rating, three models were selected: Hyundai Motor Company Palisade and Santa Cruz, and Genesis G90.
This result also proves the excellent safety of the dedicated electric vehicle platform, E-GMP. The Ioniq 9 and EV9 received the highest "Good" rating in all categories, including frontal and side crash tests and crash prevention system evaluations. Other E-GMP-based electric vehicles, such as the compact SUV Ioniq 5, the Genesis GV60, and the midsize sedan Ioniq 6, also earned the TSP+ rating.
The multi-frame structure, which is advantageous for energy dispersion in a collision, and the expanded use of ultra-high-strength steel-both key elements of E-GMP's safety-first design philosophy-have been validated by these empirical results.
In addition, major internal combustion engine models equipped with hybrid powertrains, such as the Avante, Sportage, and Santa Fe, were also selected for the TSP+ rating. This demonstrates consistent safety across all powertrains and sustainable competitiveness during the transition to electrification.
The IIHS awards the TSP+ rating to vehicles with the highest level of safety in crash tests and the TSP rating to those with good performance. This year, the evaluation criteria for rear seat passenger safety were further strengthened. In the frontal crash test, a dummy representing a small-statured woman or a 12-year-old child was placed in the rear seat to better reflect the types of injuries most likely to occur to rear seat passengers in an accident. Until last year, a "Good" rating was sufficient to earn a TSP+ designation, but starting this year, the criteria have been raised so that TSP+ requires a "Good" rating and TSP requires at least a "Good" rating.
A Hyundai Motor Group representative stated, "The group's efforts to prioritize customer safety have been validated for the second consecutive year by the world's most prestigious evaluation," adding, "We will continue to strengthen customer trust by providing vehicles with the highest level of global safety."
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