The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has revealed 15 vehicles qualified for their Top Safety Pick+ award following the decision to strengthen the requirements to include “good-rated headlights and good or acceptable passenger-side protection in small overlap front crashes.”
The winners were predominately German, Korean and Japanese cars including the Kia Forte sedan and Soul as well as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport. The list also includes the popular Toyota Camry as well as several different Subaru models including the Impreza, Legacy, Outback, and WRX.
Several luxury vehicles came away with the Top Safety Pick+ award and they include the BMW 5-Series, Lincoln Continental (the only American brand to make the list), and Genesis G80 and G90. Mercedes also made the list thanks to the E-Class sedan and GLC crossover.
47 vehicles earned the Top Safety Pick award and the updated requirements mean they all have either good or acceptable headlights. You can view the full list here but notable compact vehicles that earned the award include the Mazda3, Hyundai Elantra, and Toyota Corolla. Other award winning sedans including the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi A4, BMW 3-Series, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, and Nissan Altima.
On the crossover side, the IIHS gave honors to the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, and Mitsubishi Outlander. Other notable models included the Honda Pilot, Lexus RX, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, and Volvo XC60.
Trucks and minivans had a poor showing overall but the Chrysler Pacifica as well as the Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline made the cut.
The decision to increase the requirements was made because the IIHS says it “became clear that some manufacturers weren’t paying sufficient attention” to offering effective headlights and a safe environment for passengers.
According to IIHS President Adrian Lund, “Drivers expect that their passengers, who are often family, will be protected just as well as they are.” He added, “Manufacturers have been taking this issue seriously since we first shed light on it, and we’re confident that good small overlap protection will become the norm on the passenger side, just as it has on the driver side.”
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IIHS Top Safety Pick+
Small cars
Kia Forte (sedan)
Kia Soul
Subaru Impreza
Subaru WRX
Midsize cars
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Toyota Camry
Large luxury cars
BMW 5 series
Genesis G80
Genesis G90
Lincoln Continental
Mercedes-Benz E-Class (sedan)
Midsize SUVs
Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
Midsize Luxury SUVs
Mercedes-Benz GLC
Top Safety Pick
Small cars
Chevrolet Volt
Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid
Hyundai Elantra
Hyundai Elantra GT
Mazda 3
Subaru Crosstrek
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius Prime
Midsize cars
Honda Accord
Hyundai Sonata
Kia Optima
Nissan Altima
Nissan Maxima
Midsize luxury cars
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Audi A3
Audi A4
BMW 3 series (sedan)
Lexus ES
Lexus IS
Volvo S60
Volvo V60
Large cars
Kia Cadenza
Toyota Avalon
Small SUVs
Honda CR-V
Hyundai Tucson
Kia Sportage
Mazda CX-3
Mazda CX-5
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Midsize SUVs
Honda Pilot
Kia Sorento
Mazda CX-9
Toyota Highlander
Midsize luxury SUVs
Acura MDX
Acura RDX
Buick Envision
Lexus NX
Lexus RX
Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class
Volvo XC60
Minivans
Chrysler Pacifica
Honda Odyssey
Large pickup
Honda Ridgeline
