Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Three additional vehicles from Hyundai Motor Group have received the highest safety rating — Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) — from the U.S.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), further cementing the company's leadership in automotive safety, Azernews reports.

The Hyundai Elantra (sold as the Avante in South Korea), Hyundai Sonata, and the new Kia K4 all earned the coveted TSP+ designation following the latest round of crash safety tests conducted by the IIHS, Hyundai Motor Group announced on Monday.

The IIHS is a highly respected nonprofit organization that performs rigorous annual evaluations of vehicles sold in the U.S., assessing crashworthiness, crash avoidance technology, and headlight performance.

Vehicles that excel in all test categories receive the TSP+ rating, while those that still perform well but fall slightly short in one or two areas are given the standard Top Safety Pick (TSP) designation.

With these three new additions, Hyundai Motor Group now has 15 vehicles that have earned either TSP or TSP+ ratings in 2025 — the most of any automaker so far this year.

Earlier in March, the IIHS awarded TSP+ ratings to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6, Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, as well as the Genesis GV60, GV70, Electrified GV70, and GV80, and the Kia EV9 and Telluride. The Genesis GV90 earned a TSP rating.

This achievement places Hyundai Motor Group at the top globally in terms of the number of vehicles recognized for outstanding safety — for the second year in a row. Mazda followed with eight models, while Honda ranked third with seven.

Interesting Fact: The IIHS has tightened its safety standards in recent years, making it increasingly difficult for automakers to earn top marks. Despite that, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis have continued to excel — a testament to their commitment to engineering and innovation, especially in the era of electrification and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

A Hyundai Motor Group spokesperson commented:

“We’re proud that so many of our models have earned top marks in crash safety, especially as the IIHS continues to raise the bar each year. We remain committed to delivering vehicles with industry-leading safety and quality through continuous research, design, and innovation.”

With a strong showing across both internal combustion and electric vehicles, Hyundai Motor Group continues to reinforce its global reputation as a leader in automotive safety and smart mobility.