A small electric Hyundai sports-utility vehicle won the highest safety rating awarded by a major vehicle crash tester.
The 2024 Ioniq 5 was rated Top Safety Pick+ after going through the paces of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests.
The nonprofit rated Hyundai’s midsize Santa Fe SUV, along with its midsize Sonata car, at the lower-tier Top Safety Pick level.
The Ioniq performed well in the institute’s updated moderate overlap front testing, while the other two models excelled only under its older testing standard.
IIHS said the Ioniq provides “excellent” rear passenger protection, while the Santa Fe’s protection was lacking, exposing risk to head, neck, chest and abdominal injuries. The Sonata’s showing was still worse, with high risk of head, neck and chest injuries, in addition to some abdominal injury risk.
The organization said all three Hyundais did well in its small overlap front and side tests.
