Related: Hyundai 2021 Santa Fe Features New Powertrains, Includes a Hybrid Variant
2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Captures IIHS’ Top Safety Award
New headlights help the 2022-MY Hyundai Santa Fe reach peak safety status.
September 4, 2021
The Santa Fe comes with a standard front crash prevention system that earns superior ratings in both the vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations — safety features that can’t be topped and make it a key competitor for the coveted “plus” award.
Photo: IIHS
1 min to read
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has bestowed its highest honor — the Top Safety Pick+ award — on the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe.
The midsize SUV was put through the paces, undergoing six rigorous crashworthiness tests — and acing every one. These included the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraint tests.
But as automakers well know, that wasn’t quite enough to roll away with “plus status.”
Rather, the Santa Fe had to prove its worth with both high quality front crash prevention and at lest acceptable headlights. The SUV pulled it off on both counts.
The Santa Fe comes with a standard front crash prevention system that earns superior ratings in both the vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations — safety features that can’t be topped and make it a key competitor for the coveted “plus” award.
Headlights are the area where many vehicles fall short. But the 2022 Santa Fe did not disappoint. All Santa Fe vehicles built after July 2021 come exclusively with good or acceptable headlights — giving the SUV the final element it needed to call itself a Top Safety Pick+ winner.
More Safety
Nexar-Nauto Merger Aims to Give Fleets Better Safety Intelligence Through Larger Driving Dataset
Stefan Heck tells Automotive Fleet that combining more than 10 billion miles of driving history with Nexar's AI models will give fleets deeper insights into driver risk and roadway conditions than either company could provide independently.
Read More →
Don't Wait for a Crisis: 5 Ways to Build Mental Health Into Your Fleet Safety Program
For Suicide Prevention Month, fleet and safety leaders have an opportunity to put mental health where it belongs: at the center of workplace safety.
Read More →
How Camera Data Can Strengthen a Fleet’s Insurance Renewal
Insights from a commercial insurance carrier and a broker show how fleets can turn video telematic data, driver coaching, and improved claims results into a stronger case at insurance renewal.
Read More →
The Safest Fleets Aren’t the Ones with the Most Technology
You’ve made the telematics investment. Here’s how to capture the other half of its value and build the safest fleet on the road.
Read More →
Sponsored•August 7, 2026
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness
Read More →
NETS Sets 2026 Fleet Safety Benchmark Conference for Indianapolis
The Sept. 15–17 program will feature fleet benchmarking data, case studies, emerging technologies, and implementation strategies while running alongside the NSC Safety Congress & Expo.
Read More →
Off-the-Job Crashes Account for 43% of Employers’ $61.7 Billion Crash Burden
NETS quantifies costs dispersed across fleet, risk, HR, and other departments while providing new per-crash benchmarks for employers.
Read More →
Ram Recalls More Than 1.27 Million 1500 Pickups for Seat Belt Anchor Issue
The recall affects certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 pickups that may have improperly attached second-row seat belt buckle anchors.
Read More →
Sponsored•July 17, 2026
How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48%
Fleet leaders don't need more data, they need clearer visibility into what the data is saying. This case study explores how one utility replaced speeding-event counts with a single metric — miles driven in violation — to strengthen safety and significantly reduce speeding violations.
Read More →
Operation Safe Driver Week: Why the Industry's Oldest Safety Campaign Still Matters to Fleets
A look at how a 2007 enforcement initiative became one of the most consequential weeks on the fleet safety calendar, and what it means for your drivers in 2026.
Read More →