Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
12 Hyundai, Kia cars named safe by US ratings agency
The Hyundai Avante / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor
By Nam Hyun-woo
By Nam Hyun-woo
Twelve Hyundai Motor Group cars were certified in the safety ratings category by a renowned U.S. crashworthiness evaluator, the largest number for an auto group in this year's evaluation.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Wednesday, the 12 Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors and Genesis cars received the Top Safety Pick+ rating, the highest safety approval from the organization.
The Hyundai Motor vehicles were the Avante (Elantra in the U.S.), Sonata, Kona and Santa Fe. Kia Motors had the K3 (Forte in the U.S.), Niro Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid, K5 (Optima in the U.S.) and Sorento; while the G70, the G80 and the G90 from Genesis were also named.
The IIHS was established in 1959 and has built its reputation as one of the most reliable crashworthiness evaluators in the world, testing hundreds of vehicles annually. It gives the Top Safety Pick+ rating to the safest cars and Top Safety Pick to those below.
Of 30 Top Safety Pick+ winners this year, Subaru has seven models, followed by Mercedes-Benz with three.
“With the IIHS test result, Hyundai Motor Group brands again have proven their safety,” a group official said. “We will continue making efforts to show consumers that we prioritize their safety.”
The Genesis G70 / Courtesy of Genesis