If this were a safety bake-off, Hyundai Motor Group just walked out of the IIHS kitchen with every trophy—and Volvo showed up with a fallen cake. In 2025, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis models scooped up 12 Top Safety Pick awards—more than any other brand group. Meanwhile, Volvo, the brand that invented the seatbelt, failed to get a single win for anything built in 2025.

Hyundai IIHS safety wins are no fluke

The 2025 IIHS awards didn’t go easy on anyone. “Only 48 models qualify for 2025 awards so far, compared with 71 last year at this time,” the IIHS reported. The Hyundai Group IIHS safety results stood out across the board.

Hyundai earned five IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards for the IONIQ 5, KONA, TUCSON, SANTA FE, and IONIQ 6. Genesis–the luxury branch of Hyundai–added four more with the GV60, Electrified GV70, GV70, and GV80. The Genesis G90 earned a Top Safety Pick, bringing the group’s total to 12.

Even Kia showed up strong. The EV9 and Telluride both scored TSP+ awards. Hyundai Motor Group said these wins represent “25% of the total honors in 2025.”

Brian Latouf, Hyundai’s global safety chief, summed up its IIHS showing: “Outstanding safety performance is core to the Hyundai Motor Group.” He called the tougher IIHS criteria “the most stringent test criteria ever.”

Why Volvo fell off the safety podium

Volvo didn’t earn a single IIHS award for any vehicle built in 2025. The brand’s legacy couldn’t save it from the IIHS’ rulebook rewrite.

The IIHS now requires “an acceptable rating in the updated [moderate overlap] test to qualify for Top Safety Pick.” They’ve phased out the old test entirely. IIHS also noted: “The updated test adds a second dummy seated behind the driver and emphasizes back seat safety.” In addition, the IIHS has also added a nighttime test for pedestrian-detecting emergency braking.

Volvo’s 2024-built XC90 still held on to a safety trophy—but that’s a carryover. For 2025? No Volvo built in 2025 gets an IIHS Safety Pick award.

Hyundai IIHS safety wins weren’t handed out—they were earned. New rules emphasize pedestrian protection, nighttime crash prevention, and back seat survival. Hyundai hit every mark.

The 2025 IIHS safety awards didn’t just shake up the leaderboard—they shattered it. Hyundai Motor Group made its case with steel, sensors, and serious back seat protection. Volvo? History won’t help you now. In this safety showdown, only the bold get the award. You can see all the 2025 models that won IIHS awards in the video embedded below: