63 Vehicles Have Earned IIHS Safety Awards So Far in 2026

by Mike Schlee

Published: March 24th, 2026

63 vehicles have earned iihs safety awrds so far in 2026

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its awards for 2026, with 63 vehicles qualifying. To earn award status, a vehicle needs to achieve a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS based on collision avoidance and crash test data.

The requirements to win the Top Safety Pick award remained the same this year. A vehicle needs an acceptable or good rating in the pedestrian front crash prevention test, while good ratings for the small overlap front and side tests, as well as headlights, are required. To get a Top Safety Pick+, vehicles need a good rating in the pedestrian front crash prevention test and an acceptable or good rating in the vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation.

That vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test is new this year, with a greater focus on rear seat passenger safety. As stated by the IIHS, the new test differs by:

"The original evaluation, which was discontinued in 2022, focused on rear-end crashes at lower speeds using only a passenger car target. The new evaluation includes test runs at 31, 37 and 43 mph (50, 60 and 70 kilometers per hour). In addition to a passenger car target, it examines performance with a motorcycle target and a semitrailer."

Big Increase for 2026

Once all the data was compiled and tallied, 63 vehicles qualified for an IIHS award so far. That’s a healthy increase from last year, when a mere 48 had qualified up until this point in the year. Of the 63 vehicles, 18 earn the Top Safety Pick award while 45 earn the Top Safety Pick+ award.

“This year, we’re asking automakers to make excellent protection for back seat passengers the norm,” IIHS President David Harkey said. “For Top Safety Pick+, we’re requiring crash avoidance systems that are better at preventing pedestrian crashes as well as higher speed crashes with other vehicles.”

Affordability Not an Issue, Body Style Is

The most affordable vehicle to win an award is the 2026 Kia K4 with a starting price of $22,290 before destination charges. The most affordable SUV is the Hyundai Kona, which starts at $25,500, once again before destination charges. Nearly every segment of vehicles is included amongst the winners below, but there are a few exceptions. No minicars, minivans, or small pickups earn awards this year, and just two full-size trucks did as well.

“It’s disappointing that minivans continue to struggle to provide the best available protection for passengers in the back, considering that these are supposed to be family vehicles,” Harkey said. “Based on these results, parents may want to consider some of the more affordable sedans and SUVs that earn awards.”

Top Safety Pick+ Winners:

Small Cars

Kia K4
Mazda 3 hatchback
Mazda 3 sedan
Nissan Sentra

Midsize Cars

Hyundai Sonata
Toyota Camry

Midsize Luxury Car

Audi A5

Large Luxury Car

2027 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron
Genesis G80 built after June 2025

Small SUVs

Genesis GV60
Honda HR-V
Hyundai Ioniq 5
Hyundai Kona
Hyundai Tucson
Kia Sportage built after May 2025
Mazda CX-30
Mazda CX-50
Subaru Forester

Midsize SUVs

Honda Passport
Hyundai Ioniq 9
Hyundai Santa Fe
Kia EV9
Kia Sorento built after September 2025
Mazda CX-70
Mazda CX-70 PHEV
Mazda CX-90
Mazda CX-90 PHEV
Nissan Murano
Nissan Pathfinder
Subaru Ascent
Subaru Outback

Midsize Luxury SUVs

Audi Q5
Audi Q5 Sportback
2027 Audi Q6 e-tron
2027 Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron
BMW X3
BMW X5
Genesis Electrified GV70
Genesis GV70
Genesis GV80
Infiniti QX60
Lexus NX

Large SUVs

Rivian R1S
Volvo EX90

Large Pickup

Tesla Cybertruck