Elantra, Tucson selected among safest cars by IIHS

Hyundai Motor Co.'s passenger car Avante (name in the US: Elantra) and compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) Tucson earned the Top Safety Pick Plus (TSP+) designation by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US, Hyundai Motor Group announced on Tuesday.

IIHS was founded in 1959. It is an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries and property damage from motor vehicle crashes in the US.

To qualify for the TSP+, a vehicle must earn a good rating on tests of the following areas: the driver-side small overlap front; the passenger-side small overlap front, original moderate overlap front and updated side. It must have acceptable or good headlights that are standard across all trims, and a front crash prevention system that earns advanced or superior ratings in both the daytime and nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations.

This year, the IIHS crash test has become more challenging. The object used in the side impact test is now 1,896 kg, up from 1,497 kg. The speed of impact is now 59.5 kmh, up from 49.8 kmh. That's an 82% increase in impact energy.

Hyundai Motor Group has five models that have earned the TSP+ rating under tougher tests this year: Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai IONIQ 6, IONIQ 5, Hyundai Elantra, and Hyundai Tucson.

Write to Sungsu Bae at baebae@hankyung.com