Hyundai has definitely come a long way from its early years in the industry, when it suffered from a bad reputation due to the low quality of their vehicles. The company steadily rose from these setbacks by improving the build quality and safety of their cars to become one of the most promising automakers today. Now, the automaker’s first minivan, the 2007 Entourage, is the first Hyundai vehicle to receive a gold award for good crashworthiness ratings after it earned the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest honor, the Top Safety Pick award.

The Entourage snagged the award when it received a good rating for front, side and rear crash protection. Hyundai is leading the way in standardizing the most effective safety technologies in the industry today. The Entourage is a veritable showcase of these safety technologies such as six standard airbags including side air curtains for all three rows of seats and Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The Entourage is the newest vehicle in Hyundai’s lineup with standard ESC which includes the Santa Fe, Tucson, Sonata and Azera.

“We are thrilled that Entourage is the gold standard for safety among minivans. This award demonstrates our growing leadership in occupant protection, and complements our industry-leading position in the standard application of the industry’s most effective life-saving technologies, such as Electronic Stability Control.” said John Krafcik, Hyundai’s vice-president of product development and strategic planning.