The 2021 Genesis G80 is a large luxury sedan comparable to the Mercedes E450. Now the IIHS has bestowed upon it its highest honor: a Top Safety+ Pick. Let’s take a look at the crash test ratings to find out why the Genesis G80 is a Top Safety+ Pick.

What is an IIHS Top Safety+ Pick?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests how well a car does in a variety of collision and other accident scenarios. There are two possible awards a car can win: a Top Safety Pick and the more elite Top Safety+ Pick. Top Safety+ Pick winners must get good ratings in all of the IIHS’ crash test categories. These include driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. 

Top Safety+ Pick winners must also have advanced or superior front crash prevention systems available, and acceptable or good headlights. Not every car wins an award, but the Genesis G80 sure did. 

The 2021 Genesis G80 killed it in each crash test category

First up are overlap crash test ratings. The small overlap front: driver-side and passenger-side tests how well a car traveling at 40 MPH does when the front left and right corners of the car collides with a five-foot tall rigid barrier. The Genesis G80 got a good rating in both of these tests, and all of the subcategories. The only exception is the lower leg/foot under the passenger-side overlap test. 

The Genesis G80 also did well in the moderate overlap front test. The IIHS simulates an accident where a car traveling 40 MPH strikes a two-foot aluminum honeycomb barrier. Forty percent of the front of the car on the driver side hits this deformable barrier. The Genesis G80 got all good ratings in this category. 

Side test ratings are important because there’s very little to absorb the shock of a car accident on the sides of a car. The IIHS uses small dummies representing small women or 12-year old children because they are more likely to be injured or killed in these types of accidents. The Genesis G80 got good in every subcategory of the side crash tests. 

The Genesis G80 got a good rating in the IIHS roof strength test. The roof strength test is important because it keeps occupants from being crushed in a rollover and can also keep them from being ejected. 

Likewise, the Genesis G80 got good marks for head restraint and seat test ratings.

The 2021 Genesis G80 has superior crash prevention  

The 2021 Genesis G80 scored a superior in the front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian. It avoided an accident in all of the subcategories except vehicle-to-pedestrian at 37 MPH. The Genesis G80 didn’t avoid collision, but it did reduce impact speed by 36 MPH and issue a warning 1.5 seconds before impact. 

The 2021 Genesis G80’s headlights are acceptable

All of the 2021 Genesis G80 trim levels come with LED headlights. The IIHS found that  the low beams were fair on the left side of a straight road and inadequate on the right side. They did a little better on the right side of a curved road, getting good marks. However, on the left sharp curve, they were fair, and on the left gradual curve they were inadequate. 

Child seat anchors are acceptable

If you’re buying a 2021 Genesis G80 to transport your kiddos, you’ll want to know that the IIHS found the child seat anchors to be too deep in the left and right rear seats. Additionally, there are no child seat anchors in the rear middle seat. Installing a car seat correctly is vital to child safety in event of a crash, and difficult to find seat anchors make that harder. 

Overall, the 2021 Genesis G80 is worthy of the IIHS Top Safety+ Pick award

Taken as a whole, the IIHS safety ratings are very good. If you’re looking for a safe large luxury sedan, this is a great choice. The 2021 Genesis G80 is an all-around solid car that proves you don’t have to compromise safety for luxury.