What makes an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK or IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+?

We're always posting articles about which Hyundai models achieve the coveted TOP SAFETY PICK accolade from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), but we realized the details of what goes into choosing may not exactly be common knowledge.

There are two factors that are considered when testing vehicles, crashworthiness, which is how well a vehicle protects during a crash, and crash avoidance and mitigation; technology that prevents a crash altogether, or at least lessens the severity.

Crash worthiness is rated by good, acceptable, marginal and poor, and is tested with five tests: moderate overlap front, small overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. For crash avoidance and mitigation, there's a rating system of basic, advanced or superior, and this is rated based on the type of system and its performance in the tests.

So, to qualify for an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK a vehicle must earn the top level ratings (good) in moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests, and earn at least an acceptable in small overlap front.

To earn an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ accolade (the IIHS' highest honor), a vehicle must earn a TOP SAFETY PICK and also have basic, advanced or superior ratings in crash prevention. Vehicles that are deemed TOP SAFETY PICK+ can be considered some of the safest cars on the market.

Hyundai already has two vehicles that have achieved a TOP SAFETY PICK+; check out our online selection of the 2015 Sonata and 2015 Genesis here.



All information via IIHS