Hyundai Motor Group Selected for 22 Models… “Most Among Global Car Groups”
Hyundai with 9 models ranks 2nd overall, Genesis with 8 models ranks 1st in luxury brands
Kia newly selected K4 for TSP in compact sedan segment
[Herald Economy = Seo Jae-geun] Hyundai Motor Group announced on the 19th that Kia’s ‘K4 2025 model (hereinafter referred to as K4)’ was newly selected for the ‘2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick (TSP)’ grade in the crash test announced by the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on the 17th (local time).
The K4, a compact sedan sold by Kia in the North American market, was recently named a finalist in the passenger car category for the ‘2025 North American Car of the Year’.
With the selection of the K4 for TSP, Hyundai Motor Group now has a total of 22 models that received TSP+ or TSP ratings, including 9 for Hyundai, 8 for Genesis, and 5 for Kia. This is the highest number among global car groups, with Toyota ranking second (18 models) and Honda third (11 models).
Brand-wise, Hyundai and Kia ranked second and sixth respectively among mass-market brands, while Genesis secured the top spot among luxury brands.
This year, the TSP+ grade includes Hyundai’s four models: Ioniq 6, Ioniq 5, Kona, Tucson, and Genesis’s seven models: G90, G80, G80 electric model, GV80, GV70 (2025 model), GV70 electric model, and GV60, along with Kia’s one model, Telluride.
The TSP grade includes five Hyundai models: Avante (known as Elantra locally), Sonata, Palisade, Santa Fe, Santa Cruz, and one Genesis model GV70 (2024 model), as well as four Kia models: K4, EV9, Sportage, Sorento.
The IIHS assigns a TSP+ rating to vehicles demonstrating top-level safety in crash tests and a TSP rating to vehicles achieving a good level of performance.
In this year’s evaluation, IIHS applied stricter criteria for rear-seat passenger protection and pedestrian collision prevention systems, raising the bar for obtaining an excellent grade.
The enhanced front crash evaluation includes additional dummies in the rear seat to assess potential injuries to rear-seat passengers in frontal collisions, requiring at least a ‘good’ rating for TSP+.
The standard for side-impact evaluations for TSP eligibility has also been raised. Previously, vehicles with a ‘good’ rating qualified for TSP, but now both TSP and TSP+ require an ‘excellent’ rating.
Additionally, in the frontal small overlap crash evaluation, where previously separate ratings were given for the driver and passenger sides, the IIHS now consolidates these evaluations and assigns the final rating based on the lower of the two scores.
For pedestrian collision prevention evaluations, the previous requirement of obtaining an ‘excellent’ rating only in daylight tests has been replaced. Now, a combined test covering both day and night must yield a rating of ‘good’ or higher for TSP+ or TSP eligibility.
To earn a TSP+ rating, a vehicle must achieve the highest ‘excellent’ rating in the three crash safety categories: frontal small overlap, frontal crash, and side crash.
Moreover, the forward collision prevention system test (vehicle-to-pedestrian) during day and night should yield a rating of ‘good’ or higher, and the headlight evaluation must result in a ‘good’ rating across all vehicle trims.
For TSP ratings, besides achieving ‘excellent’ in frontal small overlap and side crash evaluations, a vehicle must obtain an ‘excellent’ rating in the existing evaluation criteria, excluding the newly established rear-seat passenger evaluation in frontal crash tests.
The IIHS selected a total of 104 vehicle models by November, including 56 models for the TSP+ rating and 48 models for the TSP rating, from cars released in the U.S. market.
A Hyundai Motor Group representative stated, “We are proud that many of our models have proven to have the highest level of safety in the upgraded 2024 IIHS crash test evaluations,” and added, “We will continue to prioritize customer safety and strive to ensure the safety of both vehicle occupants and pedestrians.”