The Genesis GV80 sport utility vehicle earned the highest crash safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Hyundai Motor Co. said Friday.

The South Korean carmaker produces the luxury SUV and high-end sedans under its independent Genesis brand.

The IIHS has added its own seal of approval to the GV80 only a few weeks after golf great Tiger Woods unintentionally put the flagship SUV in the spotlight by demonstrating its crashworthiness.

The GV80 earned the Top Safety Pick+ award in the large SUV segment, Hyundai said in a statement.

It earned good scores in a wide range of IIHS collision tests, including front crash prevention in vehicle-to-vehicle crashes and pedestrian front crash prevention, the statement said.

To qualify for the IIHS highest safety rating, a vehicle has to earn a high score in several test categories, including the driver's side small overlap front, roof strength and front crash prevention.

In February, the G70 and G90 sedans also won the Top Safety Pick+ ratings from the US auto safety organization. (Yonhap)