Crash-test results shape many car purchases, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced its 2026 awards in March. Winners span sedans, crossovers, luxury SUVs, electric models and one lone pickup. This gallery walks through twelve of the vehicles that earned the Top Safety Pick+ designation.
Help yourself and the planet: The Cool Down makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet, with smart, simple changes to save more and waste less in your everyday life.
We may earn a commission if you sign up.
1. Toyota Camry: Midsize Sedan Standard
The Toyota Camry earned a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ in the midsize car class, according to the IIHS 2026 award announcement. That result places the long-running family sedan in the top tier of an Institute program built around crash protection and crash avoidance.
For shoppers weighing a conventional sedan against a crossover, the outcome shows that a lower body style can still reach the highest award level. Ratings apply to the tested model year and equipment, so trim and build date are worth checking before purchase.
2. Mazda CX-90: Three-Row Crossover Win
Mazda’s flagship crossover took a 2026 Top Safety Pick+, and the IIHS award listing shows that the CX-90 plug-in hybrid won as well. Both powertrain versions therefore carry the Institute’s highest tier for the model year.
Plug-in variants add battery packs and different weight distribution, which makes a matching result notable. Buyers choosing between the gasoline and plug-in versions of this model do not have to trade away the award to get the electrified one.
3. Honda HR-V: Small SUV Surprise
Among small SUVs, the Honda HR-V collected a 2026 Top Safety Pick+, as recorded in the IIHS winners list. Small crossovers often face a size disadvantage in crash testing, so a top-tier result in this class carries extra weight.
The outcome gives entry-level shoppers a path to the Institute’s best rating without moving up to a larger, pricier vehicle. As with every winner here, the designation depends on the specific model year and the equipment fitted to the car.
4. Tesla Cybertruck: Only Large Pickup
Tesla’s angular Cybertruck won a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ and stands as the only large pickup on the IIHS award roster. The large pickup category had a single winner, which makes the stainless-steel truck the sole representative of its segment.
That lone entry explains the second half of this gallery’s title. Rival full-size trucks from established makers did not join the list, leaving the newcomer with the segment to itself in the Institute’s 2026 results.
5. Hyundai Sonata: Midsize Car Contender
The Hyundai Sonata is listed as a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ winner in the midsize car class in Jalopnik’s awards roundup. The sedan shares that category with the Camry, giving the midsize car segment two names on the Plus list.
Sedans have lost sales volume to crossovers in recent years, yet the Institute’s results show that the body style still produces strong crash performers. The Sonata’s placement is a reminder that a traditional car remains a credible safety-minded choice.
6. Honda Passport: Midsize SUV Entry
Honda’s rugged midsize crossover, the Passport, earned a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ in the midsize SUV class, per Jalopnik’s coverage of the awards. It joins several other three-row-sized rivals in a crowded category that accounts for many of the year’s winners.
Competition among midsize SUVs is intense, so a Plus rating can serve as a tiebreaker on a shopping list. Shoppers should confirm that the model year and trim they intend to buy match the vehicle the Institute actually tested.
7. Hyundai Santa Fe: Fifth-Generation Winner
The Hyundai Santa Fe is another midsize SUV on the 2026 Top Safety Pick+ list, according to Jalopnik’s winners article. The boxy redesign now sits among the award-winning crossovers in a class that produced multiple recipients.
The result lets Hyundai point to two models on the Plus roster, the Sonata and this crossover. Because the award is tied to a particular model year, older used examples of the same nameplate carry no guarantee of a similar crash-test outcome.
8. Nissan Pathfinder: Family Hauler Honored
Nissan’s three-row Pathfinder also joined the midsize SUV winners with a 2026 Top Safety Pick+, as noted by Jalopnik’s award summary. Families who need seating beyond two rows now have another Plus-rated choice to compare in a competitive field.
Large cabins and heavier curb weights do not guarantee strong ratings, which is why individual results matter more than class reputation. The Pathfinder’s placement shows that a mainstream family vehicle can match pricier competitors in the Institute’s evaluations.
9. Rivian R1S: Electric Large SUV
Rivian’s R1S earned a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ and is one of only two large SUVs to win, based on Cars.com’s safety reporting. The other large SUV winner is the Volvo EX90, leaving the category with a very short list.
Both large winners are electric, and neither comes from a long-established mass-market brand. For a young manufacturer, the placement offers independent validation of a product that otherwise relies largely on its own claims about safety and engineering.
10. Lexus NX: Luxury Compact Crossover
The Lexus NX is a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ winner among midsize luxury SUVs, according to Cars.com’s rundown of winners. Luxury buyers get a premium badge alongside the Institute’s highest award, a combination that matters in a segment known for feature-heavy cabins.
Price alone does not decide crash results, so recognition for the NX reinforces the idea that engineering matters more than the badge. Prospective owners should still verify that the specific build they want matches the tested configuration.
11. Kia EV9: Electric Three-Row Winner
Kia’s EV9 won a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ in the midsize SUV class, as listed by Cars.com’s award coverage. The large electric three-row crossover is among the newest designs on the list and arrives with a top-tier result.
Electric models carry heavy battery packs low in the body, a layout that changes how crash forces travel through the structure. The EV9’s performance shows that a bulky battery-powered family vehicle can still earn the Institute’s highest recognition.
12. BMW X5: Luxury SUV Staple
BMW’s X5 rounds out the group as a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ winner among midsize luxury SUVs, according to Cars.com’s winners article. The long-running model keeps a place on the Plus list alongside its Lexus rival in the same luxury class.
Of 63 award winners overall, 45 earned the Plus level and 18 the standard Top Safety Pick, so the X5 landed in the larger and more demanding group. That ratio frames the twelve vehicles in this gallery as part of a broad but selective roster.
Help yourself and the planet: Get The Cool Down →
We may earn a commission if you sign up.
More from Morning Overview
- Tropical Storm Rachel is dumping up to 12 inches on four Mexican states on its way to major hurricane strength
- The FTC says Lens.com doubled the price shoppers saw in Google ads
- Common allergy, bladder and sleep pills tied to sharply higher dementia odds
- NOAA now gives this winter a 75% chance of the strongest El Nino since 1950
