2015 Hyundai Sonata earns a top Safety Pick+ rating

The prestigious Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick+ has awarded its highest honor to yet another Hyundai vehicle after the 2015 Sonata sedan’s outstanding performance in crash testing. The Sonata is joining the 2015 Hyundai Genesis in earning the highest honor from the Institute.

The 2015 Sonata earned an “acceptable” rating in the Institute’s small overlap front crash test. The test replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object like a tree or a utility pole. “In the small overlap test, the driver’s space was maintained well,” the Institute said in a statement on Thursday. “During the test, the safety belt allowed the dummy’s upper body to move too far forward. The dummy’s head hit the steering wheel through the airbag, indicating that head injuries would be possible in a real-world crash of this severity. The side curtain airbag deployed and had sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with side structures.”

In order to earn the Institute’s Top Safety Pick+ award, the vehicle has to earn a “good” or “acceptable” rating for overlap protection, a “good” rating in the Institute’s other four tests, and a “basic”, “advanced”, or “superior” rating for front crash protection. The Sonata earned “good” ratings in the four other tests, which were: moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. Read more about the story here.