A banner year in car safety

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on Wednesday recognized 90 current-year model cars as “Top Safety Picks,” compared with 64 selections in 2020.

 

In addition to selecting its picks, gauged for safety in a series of crashworthiness tests, the institute awarded 49 models, more than double those that earned an award last year, according to the report released Wednesday.

 

“With these awards, we want to make it easy for consumers to find vehicles that provide good protection in crashes, sufficient lighting and effective front crash protection,” IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement. “Manufacturers have stepped up to meet the challenge, and the list of great options has grown to an impressive size this year.”

 

Of all manufacturers, Hyundai Motor Group, including the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands, has the most 2021 awards — 12 named as “Top Safety Picks” with five collecting awards. Volvo has the most awards with nine total. Meanwhile, only one automaker, Mitsubishi, has failed to earn a single award so far. Also noteworthy, in 2020 no minivans made the cut. This year, two earned awards: the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna.