Hyundai Motor''s Sonata YF has been named the "Top Safety Pick for 2010" by the U.S.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), JoongAng Ilbo said Saturday.
The selection measures included front and side crash tests, a rollover trial, and protection against neck injuries, in addition to case studies going as far back as 30 years, the article said, citing the company.
IIHS, first established in 1959, is a nonprofit research and communications organization funded by auto insurers, its Web site said.
Japan's Toyota, which was placed on the list in 2009, has none of its models enter the inventory this time, JoongAng said, likely due to its recent safety problems.
Meanwhile, the Automotive Lease Guide (ALG), an industry consultancy in the United States, earlier this month gave a 36-month residual value of 54 percent for the 2011 Sonata, one of the highest among the mid-size car category.
Residual value is one of the most important criteria for U.S. customers to select cars because trading of second-hand vehicles remains high in the world's second-largest auto market.
China overtook the U.S. to become the world's biggest car market, China said last month.