Improved rear seat belts boost Genesis vehicles to highest award

An acceptable rating in the updated moderate overlap front test boosted the 2024 Genesis G80 and G90, both large luxury cars, to Top Safety Pick+ status.

To earn the Top Safety Pick+ award this year, an acceptable or good rating in the updated moderate overlap front test is required, while a good rating in the original moderate overlap front test remains sufficient for the lower-tier Top Safety Pick. Earlier, before results in the updated tests were available, the Genesis vehicles qualified for the base award.

The Top Safety Pick+ award applies to 2024 model-year vehicles built after October 2023, when Genesis modified the rear seat belts in the G80 and G90 to improve rear occupant protection. Cars built before that date still qualify for the lower-tier award.

After the modifications, both vehicles provided solid protection in the updated test. The occupant compartments allowed little intrusion, and sensors in the dummies indicated a low risk of injury. However, the rear dummy’s lap belt moved onto the abdomen from the ideal position on the pelvis, increasing the risk of abdominal injuries.

For both Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+, vehicles must earn good ratings in the small overlap front test and the updated side test and need acceptable- or good-rated headlights across all trim levels.

In addition, an acceptable or good rating in a revised version of the pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation is required. The new version replaces the earlier daytime and nighttime tests with a single evaluation that includes some test runs in daylight and some in the dark.

Both the G80 and G90 meet all those requirements. Both vehicles come with standard front crash prevention systems. The G80’s earns an acceptable rating, while the G90’s is rated good. They also come with acceptable-rated headlights across all trim levels.