Two Redesigned SUVs Grab the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Crown
The 2027 Kia Telluride and the 2026-27 Tesla Model Y just landed the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest honor, the Top Safety Pick+ award, after both SUVs cleared a demanding round of crash and prevention tests.
- Both the redesigned Telluride and Model Y earned good ratings across the toughest IIHS crash tests.
- Only Telluride units built after June 2026 qualify, thanks to upgraded headlights.
- Five other recently tested models fell short of either award this round.
What It Takes to Win the Top Award
Top Safety Pick+ is the higher of the two IIHS safety awards. To qualify for any award this year, a vehicle needs good ratings in the moderate overlap front, small overlap front, and side crash tests. It also has to offer acceptable or good headlights across every trim level, not just the fancy top one.
For the standard 2026 Top Safety Pick, the only added requirement is an acceptable or good score in the pedestrian front crash prevention test. Earning the “plus” is where things tighten up. A vehicle needs a good rating in that pedestrian evaluation, plus an acceptable or good result in the updated vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test that IIHS rolled out in 2024. On top of all that, the qualifying front crash prevention systems have to come standard. Optional safety gear does not count.
Why the Telluride and Model Y Made the Cut
Kia gave the Telluride a full redesign for the 2027 model year, and the timing matters here. Only Telluride units built after June 2026 qualify for the award. Those later builds come with good-rated headlights, while examples that rolled off the line earlier were fitted with marginal headlights and don’t meet the standard. So if a Telluride’s safety credentials are the draw, the build date is worth checking before signing anything.
With that caveat handled, the qualifying Telluride posts good ratings straight through the crash tests, along with a standard front crash prevention system rated good for both the vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian evaluations. That covers the award requirements for this midsize SUV.
The Tesla Model Y, redesigned for the 2026 model year, took a more straightforward path to the award. It earned good ratings across the board, including its headlights, and its standard front crash prevention systems scored good in both prevention tests. As a midsize luxury SUV, the Model Y now shares the top shelf with the Telluride despite sitting in a different segment.
The Five That Didn’t Qualify
The same round of testing covered five other vehicles that came up short of either award. The 2026 BMW 3 series and 2026 Lexus IS both stumbled on individual crash or prevention scores. The 2026 BMW i4 was also among the models that did not qualify. The 2026 GMC Canyon crew cab had a marginal moderate overlap front rating and a poor vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention rating. And the 2026 Toyota Crown Signia, a midsize SUV, posted a marginal moderate overlap front result that kept it out of the running.
Missing an award is not a complete safety assessment. Each rating describes a particular evaluation, so shoppers should read the individual results rather than treat the award list as a blanket judgment.
Extra Ratings Worth a Look
IIHS also publishes two evaluations that sit outside the award criteria: seat belt reminders and LATCH ease of use. They don’t affect whether a vehicle wins, but they can tell you a lot about daily livability, especially for families juggling car seats. The Telluride and Model Y weren’t rated for LATCH in this round, and the Model Y drew a marginal seat belt reminder score, so shoppers who care about those specifics may want to weigh them alongside the headline award.
What Buyers Should Take From This Round
For anyone cross-shopping midsize SUVs, both winners make a strong safety case, with the Telluride carrying that one build-date asterisk. The wider lesson is that good crash-test ratings alone no longer guarantees a top badge. Standard prevention tech and consistent headlights across trims now carry real weight. Reading the full rating breakdown, not just the award label, is the smart way to shop.
