The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety of the U.S. announced on Aug. 8 that the 2019 Hyundai Nexo, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, won the Virginia-based think tank's highest rating for safety. (Hyundai Motor Company)
By Lee Jihae
The 2019 Hyundai Nexo, a vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells, has earned the highest safety ratings not only in Korea and Europe but also the U.S.
The Virginia-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tested the Nexo at the request of Hyundai Motor Company, and in a report released on Aug. 8, the think tank gave the vehicle the Top Safety Pick Plus award, the highest issued by the IIHS.
This was the first time for the think tank to test a fuel cell vehicle. A model qualifies for the IIHS award if it earns good ratings in the driver- and passenger-side small overlap fronts, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. It must also have an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention and a good headlight rating.
The Nexo last year also earned a string of top safety awards in Europe and Korea. In October last year, it attained the highest safety grade of five stars from the New Car Assessment Program of Europe and in December, it won the award for best medium-size SUV from the Korean New Car Assessment Program of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.