In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Electrified GV70 are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.
The Genesis Electrified GV70 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer knee airbags.
The Electrified GV70 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.
Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Electrified GV70 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Electrified GV70’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.
The Electrified GV70 has standard Anti-whiplash Front Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Anti-whiplash Front Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.
Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Electrified GV70 has a standard Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist Rear that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.
The Electrified GV70’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the Electrified GV70 and the Q4 e-tron Sportback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.
The Genesis Electrified GV70 (built after April 2024) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Q4 e-tron Sportback is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024, though it hasn’t yet been rated in the updated moderate overlap frontal test, a requirement for the “Top Safety Pick Plus” award.