Hyundai and Kia Beat Toyota and Honda in Toughest Safety Tests Yet, Win IIHS Top Safety Pick+

Hyundai and Kia Top Safety Tests: Ioniq 9 and Sportage Earn IIHS Top Safety Pick+

Hyundai and Kia Beat Toyota and Honda in Toughest Safety Tests Yet, with the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 and 2026 Kia Sportage securing the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest distinction, the Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) award. Both models achieved top ratings across all crashworthiness categories and excelled in advanced safety technology assessments. This safety dominance highlights Hyundai Motor Group’s commitment to engineering rigor, which earned a record 18 IIHS safety awards for 2025, leading all global automakers.

Setting the Pace in a Tougher Safety Environment

The 2025 IIHS tests introduced significantly heightened criteria, making the TSP+ award more selective than ever.

• New Benchmark: The updated tests included a tougher rear occupant protection test and stricter headlight performance standards. These changes are designed to better reflect real-world crash conditions and night-time visibility.
• Ioniq 9 Excellence: Hyundai’s three-row electric flagship, the Ioniq 9, excelled in small-overlap front, updated moderate overlap, and side impact tests. Crucially, it demonstrated strong protection for second-row passengers, a key differentiator under the new protocols.
• Sportage Rigor: The Kia Sportage, built after May 2025, achieved the same TSP+ honor through improved structural reinforcement and upgraded LED lighting. Its enhanced pedestrian detection and front crash prevention systems were essential to meeting the revised standards.
• Global Consistency: Both models also achieved top scores in Korea’s KNCAP safety program, reinforcing the Group’s global consistency in safety performance.

Hyundai Motor Group’s Safety Dominance

The sheer number of awards earned by the South Korean automaker solidifies its leadership in safety engineering.

• Record Awards: Collectively, Hyundai Motor Group earned 18 IIHS awards in 2025, a record for any global automaker.
• Genesis Luxury: Luxury arm Genesis contributed significantly, collecting multiple TSP+ titles for the GV60, GV70, GV80, and G90.
• Mainstream Models: Hyundai’s Santa Cruz also earned a standard Top Safety Pick (TSP).

Contrast with Established Rivals

The latest results highlight that while Hyundai and Kia are improving, established automakers are struggling to adapt to the tougher protocols.

• Toyota and Honda: Both the Toyota Grand Highlander and 4Runner failed to earn specific IIHS awards, a reminder that established manufacturers must now redesign key structures to meet the heightened criteria.

Why the Safety Award Matters

Earning a Top Safety Pick+ in 2025 is more significant than ever, carrying immense weight for consumers.

• Real-World Safety: The award now requires vehicles to protect both front and rear occupants with equal priority and maintain superior performance in demanding night-time visibility scenarios.
• Consumer Confidence: For consumers, the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 and 2026 Kia Sportage results confirm that the vehicles are designed with real-world safety at their core.
• Setting the Standard: For the industry, these South Korean brands, once considered challengers, are now effectively defining the standards by which others are judged.

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