In a dazzling display of safety excellence, Genesis, Hyundai and Lexus EVs have secured the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety’s (IIHS’) To Safety Pick+ rankings, proving their commitment to keeping their occupants safe & secure on the road. The esteemed IIHS has just bestowed its coveted Top Safety Pick+ Award upon three battery-powered vehicles: the Genesis Electrified GV70, the Hyundai Ioniq 6, and the Lexus RZ 450e. The revered insurance institute meticulously assessed the EVs crashworthiness, and scrutinized how effectively they can shield occupants during a crash.

To earn the Top Safety Pick+ award, a vehicle must excel in a number of critical tests, including driver-side small overlap, passenger-side small overlap, original moderate overlap, in addition to updated side evaluations. The IIHS also place great importance on the quality of headlights and the competence of frontal crash prevention systems, chiefly in conditions where pedestrians are involved. It is worth noting here that this latter criterion is a recent addition to the institute’s 2023 safety standards, which represents the institute’s forward-looking approach to safety of travellers on the road.

Remarkably, the Genesis Electrified GV70 earned ‘advanced’ ratings in vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash tests, while the Ioniq 6 as well as the Lexus RZ achieved ‘superior’ ratings. Among this trio, the Electrified GV70 further distinguishes itself with ‘superior’ headlights.

It should also be noted here that the Electrified GV70, despite its shared branding, doesn’t ride on the same platform as the GV60 and Ioniq 6. While the latter two are underpinned by the EV-dedicated Electric-Global Modular Architecture (E-GMP), the Electrified GV70 continues to be underpinned by a version of the platform that underpins its gas-powered counterpart.

In the critical driver-side small overlap front test, all three EVs performed exceptionally well, maintaining the dummy's position intact in relation to the door frame, steering wheel as well as instrument panel after a collision, which is a testament to outstanding safety engineering.

Sharing the results of the vehicle safety tests, IIHS President David Harkey said, “All three of these vehicles have standard front crash prevention systems designed to protect pedestrians both during the day and at night when most fatal pedestrian crashes happen.”

Joining the elite club of 2023 EVs with the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Award are Audi’s Q4 E-Tron and Q8 E-Tron, Subaru's Solterra, Volvo's XC40 Recharge, Rivian R1S and R1T, and the Volkswagen ID.4 e-SUV.