The IIHS has announced that the 2010 Hyundai Genesis sedan and 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan have earned the institute’s Top Safety Pick award. In order to earn the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle must earn the top rating of ‘good’ in front, side, rollover and rear crash protection, as well as come standard with electronic stability control.
Although the 2010 Hyundai Genesis sedan carries the distinction of being an IIHS Top Safety Pick, the 2009 model did not earn the same accolades. Hyundai improved the Genesis sedan’s roof structure for the 2010 model year, allowing for the top rating of good.
Despite a strong reputation for safety, the 2010 model year actually marks the first time the E-Class has earned the institute’s Top Safety Pick award. The award applies to any E-Class model produced after March 2010.
IIHS standards above federal mandates
In order to earn the IIHS’ top rating of good in the rollover test, a vehicle’s roof must be able to support 4 times the vehicle’s weight before crushing five inches. That figure far exceeds the federal government’s required strength-to-weight ratio of 1.5 – a law that has been on the books since 1973. The IIHS’ lowest rating of poor is given to any vehicle with a strength-to-weight ratio of 2.4 or lower.
The federal government has pledged to raise the roof strength requirements to 3.0 by 2016, but even that rating would earn the IIHS’ second lowest rating of marginal.
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