Few safety honors are harder to earn than the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s top tier, which requires Good results across multiple crash tests and headlight ratings. For 2026, a long list of crossovers and family haulers made the cut. Here are twelve of them, spanning small, midsize and three-row models.
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1. Mazda CX-5: Redesign Wins
The redesigned 2026 Mazda CX-5 earned a Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS, with Good ratings in the small overlap, updated moderate overlap and updated side tests, according to redesigned 2026 CX-5. Its vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian front crash prevention also rated Good.
Compact-SUV shoppers get a top-tier crash result from a model that is new for the year. It was among the four models IIHS added to the award list in July 2026, and the ratings page lists every test result.
2. Subaru Forester: Headlight Standout
The Subaru Forester earned a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ with Good ratings in small overlap, updated moderate overlap and updated side tests, as Forester headlight ratings records. IIHS also rated its headlights Good on every trim, with curve-adaptive LED projectors.
Good headlights on every trim means buyers of the base Forester get the same lighting grade as those of higher trims. That consistency matters because the top award depends on the headlight rating as well as crash tests.
3. Hyundai Palisade: Build Date Matters
The redesigned Hyundai Palisade is a 2026 Top Safety Pick+, but Palisade award fine print says the award applies only to vehicles built after November 2025. Earlier 2026 builds got an overall moderate overlap rating of Acceptable.
Anyone shopping the three-row SUV should confirm the production date before counting on the award. Units built before the November 2025 cutoff do not carry the same distinction, and their crash rating is lower.
4. Honda Passport: Passport Redesign
The 2026 Honda Passport, redesigned this year, earned a Top Safety Pick+ with Good small overlap, updated moderate overlap and updated side ratings, according to Passport crash results. It also received Good headlights and a G+ for LATCH ease of use.
The LATCH score is a plus for families installing child seats, since it grades how easy the anchors are to use. The award applies to the redesigned 2026 model that IIHS evaluated.
5. BMW X1: July Addition
IIHS announced on July 9, 2026 that the BMW X1 was among four more 2026 models to take home Top Safety Pick+ awards, according to BMW X1 award announcement. Its small overlap, moderate overlap, side and headlight ratings were all Good.
The X1 is the premium entry in this group, showing the top tier is not limited to mainstream brands. It was added mid-year alongside the Audi A6, Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, so earlier award lists omitted it.
6. Honda HR-V: Second-Year Winner
The Honda HR-V is listed among 2026 Top Safety Pick+ winners in the small SUV category, with the award labeled 2026-27, per Honda HR-V listing. It is one of 11 small SUVs on IIHS’s winners list for the year.
The 2026-27 label signals that the award is set to carry into the next model year. Small-SUV shoppers have eleven winners to compare. Shoppers can confirm the listing on the IIHS winners page, since the award applies to the model years named there.
7. Hyundai Tucson: Tucson Makes It
The Hyundai Tucson is one of 11 small SUVs on IIHS’s 2026 Top Safety Pick+ list, according to Hyundai Tucson award for the year. The award for the Tucson is listed for the 2026 model year, with no extension noted.
Because the listing names only the 2026 model year, buyers of other years should not assume the same award. Dealers can confirm the details of a particular vehicle, and the IIHS site lists each winner.
8. Nissan Pathfinder: Family Hauler
The Nissan Pathfinder is one of 15 midsize SUVs on Nissan Pathfinder winner status of 2026 Top Safety Pick+ winners, a three-row family hauler that earned the top tier award for the 2026 model year.
Parents of larger families have a winner with room for more passengers. As with other entries, the award applies to the listed model year rather than to every Pathfinder, so older units should be checked individually.
9. Subaru Outback: Brand Trio
The Subaru Outback is among the 15 midsize SUVs on the Outback award listing for 2026, with the award listed for the 2026 model year alongside the Forester and Ascent from the same brand.
Subaru therefore has several vehicles on the winners list, giving buyers more than one shape to consider. The Outback’s listing covers only the 2026 model year, so earlier Outbacks are not part of the award. Shoppers can verify the listing on the IIHS winners page for the year.
10. Kia Sorento: Sorento Cutoff
The Kia Sorento earned a 2026-27 Top Safety Pick+, but Kia Sorento build window states the award applies only to vehicles built after September 2025, so older 2026 builds do not qualify.
Shoppers should check the build date on any Sorento from the early part of the model year. Vehicles produced after the September 2025 cutoff carry the award, which extends into the 2027 model year. The restriction means buyers should check the production date on the door-jamb label rather than assume every 2026 Sorento qualifies.
11. Hyundai Santa Fe: Santa Fe Redesign
The redesigned Hyundai Santa Fe is a 2026-27 Top Safety Pick+ in the midsize SUV category, with no build-date restriction noted in the Santa Fe top-tier listing. IIHS lists it among the midsize winners.
Unlike the Palisade and Sorento on this list, the Santa Fe entry shows no production cutoff, which simplifies shopping. The 2026-27 label means the award extends to the following model year. Shoppers can check the IIHS winners page for the year to confirm the listing before relying on it at purchase.
12. Mazda CX-90: Three-Row Flagship
Mazda’s three-row flagship, the CX-90, earned a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ in the midsize SUV category, per Mazda CX-90 award, alongside the plug-in hybrid version and the related CX-70. IIHS lists all three among the winners.
Buyers considering the plug-in hybrid get the same award as the gasoline model. The listing places the CX-90 among a crowded group of midsize winners, so price and features will decide between them. Shoppers can check the IIHS winners page for the year to confirm each variant before relying on the award at purchase.
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