You've heard me say on the Car Pro Show that all vehicles being built today are safe. That said, some rate higher in safety than others. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's TOP SAFETY PICK+ award and TOP SAFETY PICK awards are sought after by automakers every year and below you'll find a list of its 2026 safety award winners.
The IIHS raised the bar again for 2026, putting a sharper focus on two areas that haven’t always gotten equal attention: crash avoidance technology and protection for passengers in the back seat.
Despite tougher requirements, the IIHS says 63 vehicles earned awards so far this year, up from 48 at the same point last year. Of those, 45 models qualify for the higher-tier TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation, while 18 earn the standard TOP SAFETY PICK.
One of the more notable takeaways is affordability—more than a dozen of the top-tier winners start under $30,000, including the Kia K4, which comes in at just over $22,000. In other words, strong safety ratings aren’t limited to luxury buyers.
The biggest shift for 2026 is how much weight is now placed on rear-seat safety. The IIHS updated its moderate overlap front crash test a few years ago to better measure how well back-seat occupants are protected, and now there’s no more wiggle room. To earn either award this year, vehicles must receive a “good” rating in that test. Previously, an “acceptable” score could still qualify a vehicle for the lower-tier award.
Crash avoidance systems are also under greater scrutiny. For the base TOP SAFETY PICK award, vehicles must earn at least an acceptable rating in pedestrian front crash prevention. But to get the coveted “plus,” automakers now need a good rating in that same pedestrian test and must also perform well in a newer, more demanding vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention evaluation. That newer test looks at higher-speed scenarios—up to 43 mph—and includes not just cars, but motorcycles and even semitrailers as targets. It’s a more realistic reflection of what drivers face in the real world.
Another important change: these advanced safety systems must now be standard equipment. No more hiding the good stuff in expensive option packages. If a vehicle earns an award, buyers can expect those features to be included across the board.
As in previous years, vehicles still need strong performance in the small overlap front and side crash tests, along with acceptable or good-rated headlights on all trims. That last requirement continues to trip up some automakers, but it remains a key part of nighttime safety.
SUVs dominate the list again, accounting for 35 of the 45 TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners and 12 of the 18 TOP SAFETY PICK models. There are still solid values to be found here, with the Hyundai Kona among the most affordable SUVs to make the cut, starting around $25,500. Several midsize SUVs with strong safety scores also come in under $40,000, giving families plenty of practical options.
On the flip side, some categories continue to struggle. No minicars, minivans, or small pickups earned awards this year. That’s especially notable for minivans, which are often marketed as family haulers but still lag in rear-seat protection. Among pickups, only two models made the list: the Tesla Cybertruck and the Toyota Tundra crew cab.
The addition of the updated vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test is already showing results. More than 77% of 2026 models tested so far have earned acceptable or good ratings, an improvement over last year. That suggests automakers are making real progress in developing systems that can prevent crashes altogether—not just protect occupants when one happens.
And that’s ultimately the goal. Better structure, stronger restraints, and improved airbags all matter, but the safest accident is the one you avoid in the first place. For 2026, the IIHS is making it clear that preventing crashes and protecting every passenger—front and back—are no longer optional extras.
2026 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ WINNERS
SMALL CARS / SEDANS
SMALL SUVs
MIDSIZE SUVs
LUXURY / NEAR-LUXURY SUVs
LARGE SUVs
PICKUPS
2026 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK WINNERS
SMALL CARS / SEDANS
SMALL SUVs
MIDSIZE SUVs
PICKUPS
Photo: IIHS.