Hyundai Genesis GV80 SUV picked as one of the US’ safest vehicles despite Tiger Woods' accident

Hyundai’s Genesis GV80 SUV has been chosen as one of the safest vehicles in the U.S. This sports utility vehicle model is one of the South Korean automaker’s luxury brands, and this recently made headlines as well as it was the same SUV that Tiger Woods was driving when he figured in an accident not long ago.

Top safety pick in the U.S.

As per The Korea Times, it was the country’s Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that declared Hyundai’s Genesis GV80 SUV as one of the safest rides in America. The IIHS is an organization funded by various car insurance companies, and it has given the TOP SAFETY PICK recognition to the said Hyundai SUV model.

The Genesis GV80 SUV was able to get the award due to the good ratings that it got in the crashworthiness tests that were carried out by the organization. Based on the information released by the IIHS, the Hyundai vehicle went through a total of six tests that include driver- and passenger-side small overlap front, roof strength and head restraints, moderate overlap front, and the sides.

To be included in the TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating, cars must show good ratings for all the crash prevention tests. They should also gain superior or advanced ratings in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian assessments. Plus, the headlights and everything else must be in good shape.

"With a standard front crash prevention system that earned superior ratings in both evaluations, as well as standard acceptable-rated LED projector headlights, the first SUV in the Genesis lineup meets all those requirements," the IIHS explained.

Tiger Woods' accident

In any case, while the Hyundai Genesis GV80 SUV has been recognized as one of the safest vehicles, this recognition was almost ruined as the Genesis' safety was questioned after golfer Tiger Woods got into a car accident while he was driving this Hyundai model.

USA Today mentioned that this was the very same SUV that Woods crashed in Los Angeles last month. He was lucky to have survived the mishap considering the fact that the vehicle was totally wrecked.

It was revealed that when the accident happened, the Hyundai Genesis GV80 SUV is still so new that non-government agencies have not yet assessed it for its safety. But after the evaluation, it really passed the standards and really safe based on the assessments.

"This is one of the Institute’s top-rated midsize luxury SUVs," Russ Rader, IIHS spokesman, said via email. "The GV80 aced all six IIHS crashworthiness tests."