An Accolade from IIHS of the U.S.
Hyundai Motor announced on Aug. 11 that its fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) Nexo has won the highest safety rating, "Top Safety Pick +," from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
This was the first time the IIHS carried out a safety test on an FCEV. The Nexo received the highest grade of “excellence” in six categories -- frontal crashes, driver seat small overlaps, passenger seat small overlaps, side crashes, roof stiffness, head restraints and seat safety. A small overlap is a test that assumes crashes of around 25 percent which are the most common.
The Nexo also received the "superior" and "good" ratings in forward collision avoidance and headlight tests, respectively.
The IIHS' Top Safety Pick + is given to vehicles that achieved the excellence grade in the six crash safety tests and the advanced or higher grade in a front collision avoidance test and the top grade in a headlight test.
Earlier, the Nexo was recognized for its high safety level in Korea and Europe. In December last year, it came in first in the medium-sized sports utility vehicle (SUV) category in the 2018 Korean New Car Assessment Program (KNCAP) by the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The FCEV also earned the highest five-star rating in the Euro New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) in October last year.