Hyundai Motor Group continues its dominance in vehicle safety recognition, with the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 and 2026 Kia Sportage earning the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest distinction, the 2025 Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) award. Both models achieved top ratings across all crashworthiness categories and advanced safety technology assessments, joining 16 other Group models honored this year, more than any other automaker.
The updated IIHS tests for 2025 set a new benchmark, introducing a tougher rear occupant protection test and stricter headlight performance standards. According to the IIHS, these changes better reflect real-world crash conditions and emphasize night-time visibility, though IIHS researchers say brighter headlights aren’t causing more crashes, a sign that automakers are striking a balance between visibility and safety compliance.
Joe Santos
How the IONIQ 9 and Sportage Earned Their Ratings
The all-new Ioniq 9, Hyundai’s three-row electric flagship, excelled in small-overlap front, updated moderate overlap, and side impact tests. It also demonstrated strong protection for second-row passengers, a key differentiator under the new protocols. The model’s advanced safety suite, including Highway Driving Assist 2, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, and Blind-Spot View Monitor, helped it clinch the TSP+ designation.
The Ioniq 9 also competes at the top end of the electric SUV market, proving that cutting-edge performance doesn’t have to come at the cost of occupant safety.
Kia’s 2026 Sportage, built after May 2025, achieved the same TSP+ honor thanks to improved structural reinforcement and upgraded LED lighting. Enhanced pedestrian detection and front crash prevention systems helped it meet the revised standards. Both vehicles also scored top marks in Korea’s KNCAP safety program, reinforcing Hyundai Motor Group’s global consistency in safety performance.
Toyota
Setting the Pace in a Tougher Safety Environment
The IIHS has made its safety awards more selective in recent years. Many mainstream models that previously qualified have now dropped off the TSP+ list as testing protocols evolved. For instance, both the Toyota Grand Highlander and 4Runner failed to earn specific awards, a reminder that even established automakers must now redesign key structures to meet the heightened criteria. Against that backdrop, Hyundai and Kia’s latest results stand out as an indicator of engineering rigor.
This year’s results also saw Hyundai’s Santa Cruz earn a standard Top Safety Pick (TSP), while luxury arm Genesis collected multiple TSP+ titles for the GV60, GV70, GV80, and G90. Collectively, Hyundai Motor Group’s 18 IIHS awards represent a record for any global automaker in 2025.
Why It Matters
Earning a Top Safety Pick+ in 2025 carries more weight than ever. Vehicles must now protect both front and rear occupants with equal priority and maintain superior performance in increasingly demanding nighttime visibility and crash-avoidance scenarios.
For consumers, it reinforces that Hyundai and Kia’s vehicles are designed with real-world safety at their core. For the industry, it underscores that these South Korean brands, once considered challengers, are now defining the standards by which others are judged.
