To earn the award, a vehicle must receive the top rating of Good in front, side, rear and rollover crash tests. To pass IIHS' roof-strength test, its roof must be able to withstand the force of four times the vehicle's weight. The GS's roof can withstand 4.88 times its own weight.
The GS skipped model-year 2012 and was redesigned for 2013. The outgoing version failed to earn a top safety rating in the roof-strength category and received Acceptable ratings in rear crash and roof-strength tests.