This paper reviews the industry-standard surface-potential-based compact model HiSIM_HV for high-voltage MOSFETs, as, e.g., the lateral double-diffused MOS transistor, and introduces important improvements implemented in the second-generation model versions (HiSIM_HV2), for which open source code has been released since October 2011. HiSIM_HV solves the Poisson equation consistently within the intrinsic MOSFET, i.e., the gate-drift overlap region and the drain-side part of the drift region. Excess carrier concentrations in the drift region are accurately considered together with the velocity saturation effect. These modeling concepts enable a scalable compact model formulation with only one internal node. Fulfillment of the current continuity between MOSFET and drift parts is required for determining the internal node potential. An important enhancement implemented in the HiSIM_HV2 models is a physically accurate compact drift region resistance model, which captures the effects of the structure-dependent 2-D current flows in overlap and drift regions with their complicated bias dependence. Furthermore, compact modeling of gate overlap capacitance, leakage currents due to, e.g., impact ionization, self-heating, noise, and symmetry properties (smooth derivatives at zero drain-source voltage) have been substantially improved.