Seoul, Dec 25 (IANS): Hyundai Motor’s mid-size SUV Santa Fe and Kia's EV3 entry-level electric vehicle (EV) were included among the safest cars in this year's government automobile safety evaluation, the transport ministry said on Wednesday.

The Hyundai and Kia models, along with Mercedes-Benz's E200 and Volvo's S60 sedans, received the highest safety rating of grade 1 in the annual Korean New Car Assessment Program evaluation conducted together by the ministry and the state-run Korea Transportation Safety Authority.

According to the ministry, the four models excelled in all three safety evaluation categories: collision safety, pedestrian safety and accident prevention, reports Yonhap news agency.

This year's evaluation included a total of nine models across three categories of EV, hybrid and internal combustion engine types.

Among EVs, Hyundai's Casper Electric received a grade 3 rating, while Tesla's Model Y was given a grade 4 rating.

In the newly established EV battery management system safety evaluation, the EV3 and Casper Electric received grade 2 ratings, while the Model Y was rated grade 4, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Sorento, the popular sport utility vehicle (SUV) of Kia Corp., is poised to become this year's single bestselling car model in South Korea, industry data showed.

According to the latest sales data from domestic automakers, the Sorento claimed the top spot for domestic cumulative sales for the January-November period with 85,710 units sold.

Kia's Carnival minivan came in second, selling 75,513 units, followed by the Santa Fe SUV of Hyundai Motor Co. with 70,912 units sold during the 11-month period.

Industry watchers predict the Sorento will maintain its lead in December, making it the first Kia brand to top the domestic sales ranking since the automaker's acquisition by Hyundai Motor Group in 1999.

The Sorento is also expected to become the first non-sedan and non-commercial vehicle model to claim the top spot in domestic sales.