Genesis, Hyundai, and Lexus all shine in IIHS safety ratings
A growing number of all-electric vehicles appear at the top of IIHS’s Top Safety Pick+ list.
September 16, 2023 in 12:27 PM EST
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has added three 2023 electric vehicles to its list of Top Safety Pick+ awards: the Genesis Electrified GV70, Hyundai Ioniq 6, and Lexus RZ 450e.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) examines a vehicle’s crashworthiness, which entails how well occupants are protected in the event of an accident, avoided and mitigated, highlighting the contribution of safety technologies in reducing the impact of a crash.
The IIHS said cars must earn Good ratings in the driver-side small overlap, passenger-side small overlap, original moderate overlap, and updated side-overlap tests to earn a Top Safety Pick+ award.
In addition to the crash test results, there is also a focus on the quality of the headlights, and the effectiveness of the forward collision prevention system, in day and night lighting conditions, where pedestrians are concerned. The latter appears to be an addition to the IIHS’s 2023 safety standards, which were updated from the 2022 rules.
The electrified GV70 scored “advanced ratings” in vehicle-to-pedestrian frontal crash tests, while the Ioniq 6 and Lexux RZ earned “superior ratings” in the same test. The electrified GV70 also appears to have the best headlights of the three, according to IIHS.
Remember, the Electrified GV70 doesn’t run on the same platform as the GV60 and Ioniq 6, which are based on the Electrical Global Modular Architecture (E-GMP). It continues to ride on a version of the architecture that underpins the gas-powered GV70, which also earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award.
All three electric cars scored top ratings in the driver-side small overlap frontal test. The dummy’s position appeared to be well maintained regarding the door frame, steering wheel and instrument panel after crash testing, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
“All three of these vehicles have standard forward collision prevention systems designed to protect pedestrians during the day and at night when most fatal pedestrian crashes occur,” David Harkey, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), said in a news release. “Ensuring that safety remains a priority in alternative energy vehicles is critical if we are to achieve the vision of zero traffic fatalities,” he added.
Other 2023 electric vehicles earning the IIHS’ top safety award include the Audi Q4 E-Tron, Q8 E-Tron, Volkswagen ID.4, Subaru Solterra, Volvo XC40 Recharge, and Rivian R1S and R1T.
