Hyundai, Kia cars the safest on the road, U.S. rating agency says

Industry

Published: 28 Feb. 2024, 16:54

Hyundai, Kia cars the safest on the road, U.S. rating agency says

Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 6 [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor and Kia have the safest cars on the road, according to the latest report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The IIHS has honored a total of six Hyundai and Kia vehicles with the highest safety rating, Top Safety Pick Plus (TSP+), the Korean automaker said Wednesday. Ten of the motor group's other cars were awarded with Top Safety Pick (TSP).

The two automakers were first in the overall number of awards, even beating Toyota Motor at 13 awards. A total of 71 models were selected for the two categories.

The TSP+ rating was given to Hyundai's Ioniq 6, the Kona SUV, the electric version of the G80, the GV80 and GV60 as well as Kia's Tellruide, while the TSP rating was bestowed on five Hyundai cars including the Elantra, the Ioniq 5, four Genesis vehicles including the G80 and GV70 as well as Kia's Sportage.

Kia's Telluride SUV, the North America-dedicated model [KIA]

The IIHS Top Safety Pick award is based on a combination of crash test results, accident avoidance technology and headlight capability. To earn a TSP award, a vehicle must achieve good ratings in the small and moderate overlap front crash tests and the side crash test. To receive the highest TSP+ award, a vehicle must secure a good or acceptable rating in the updated moderate overlap front collision test.

For the 2024 rating, the IIHS raised the bar, challenging automakers to enhance protection for rear seat passengers and improve pedestrian crash avoidance systems, Hyundai said.

“Hyundai Motor Group is proud to have earned the industry leadership position in the recent IIHS 2024 TSP and TSP+ award results,” said Brian Latouf, global chief safety and quality officer at Hyundai Motor Group. “At Hyundai, safety is foundational for our vehicle designs as demonstrated by obtaining the industry’s best safety accolades for 16 of our products.”

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]