Shown above is Hyundai Motor's Genesis G90, which earned this year's highest safety ranking from the Insurance Institute for Road Safety.Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor
Seoul, December 26 (UPI) -- In this year's Safety Ranking of the Insurance Association for Road Safety, 15 South Korean brand vehicles received the highest ratings.
Hyundai Motor announced Sunday that 13 of its vehicles have received the Top Safety Pick+ designation from the US nonprofit.
The roster included seven models from Hyundai's luxury brand Genesis, plus the Ionic 5, Palisade, Tucson, Palisade, Santa Fe and Nex.
Three models from sister company Kia also received top marks. K5, Stinger, EV6.
The IIHS selected only about 100 vehicles to qualify for the highest award, the IIHS Top Safety Pick+, based in Virginia.
The award criteria are based on a vehicle's crashworthiness, which measures how well it protects occupants in a crash, both in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian ratings.
Experts say the IIHS evaluation could help promote the Genesis brand in the United States.
“Almost the entire Genesis lineup has received the highest safety mark from the IIHS, which is a remarkable achievement,” Daelim University automotive professor Kim Pil-soo told UPI News Korea.
“Genesis vehicle sales surged more than 30% in the U.S. in the first half of this year, and their popularity is expected to continue for the foreseeable future,” he said.
In this regard, Hyundai Motor announced Wednesday that it has reached a new milestone of 15 million units sold in the United States since the brand was launched in 1986.
In 2005, the automaker expanded its overseas production with the opening of its first plant in Alabama. The company plans to open an additional factory in 2025, this time in Georgia.
Hyundai Motor's shares rose 0.64% in the South Korean stock market on Monday, while Kia Motors' shares rose 1.59%.
