2015 Hyundai Genesis earns IIHS TSP+ [w/video]

Wed, 07 May 2014

Hyundai has just earned itself another Top Safety Pick+ award, following on the success of the Elantra way back in August 2013. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety has certified the new, second-generation Genesis luxury sedan as a TSP+ following a successful round of crash testing.

The Genesis secured the prestigious ranking with the help of a "good" rating in the notorious small-overlap front crash test. Data from dummies showed that there was a low risk of serious injury in the 40-mile-per-hour impact.

Beside the small-overlap test result, the Genny scored a "superior" on the frontal crash test, while the moderate overlap, side, roof strength and head restraint scores were "good."

Take a look below for video of the tricky small-overlap test, as well as a brief press release from the IIHS.

2015 Hyundai Genesis earns TOP SAFETY PICK+

ARLINGTON, Va. - The redesigned Hyundai Genesis, a large luxury car, earns the IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, thanks to a good rating in the challenging small overlap front crash test and a superior rating for front crash prevention.

The 2015 Genesis also earns good ratings in the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations.

In the small overlap test, the driver's space was maintained well, and injury measures recorded on the driver dummy indicated low risk of any significant injuries in a crash of this severity. The dummy's head made good contact with the front airbag, which stayed in position during the crash, and the side curtain airbag deployed to protect the head from contact with side structures.

The Institute added the small overlap evaluation to its testing lineup in 2012. In the crash, 25 percent of a vehicle's front end on the driver side strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph. It replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object like a tree or a utility pole.

The optional front crash prevention system, which is being offered for the first time on the 2015 model, earns a superior rating because of its automatic braking capabilities. In track tests, the car stopped completely before hitting the target in tests at 12 mph and 25 mph.

The Genesis is one of only three large luxury cars to earn the Institute's highest award for 2014. To qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK+, a vehicle must earn a good or acceptable rating for small overlap protection, a good rating in the Institute's other four tests, and a basic, advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention.

By Brandon Turkus