Hyundai Motor’s 2011 Sonata has been named a “Top Safety Pick” by the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

To determine crashworthiness --- how well a vehicle protects its occupants in a crash --- the institute rates vehicles using front, side, rear and rollover tests.

To earn the Top Safety Pick designation, a vehicle must get the institute’s top rating of “good” in all four tests. In addition, vehicles given the designation must be equipped with electronic stability control.

The IIHS is a nonprofit organization run by 80 U.S. car insurers. It conducts safety tests on new car models released in the U.S. market each year.