The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released its 2026 safety award results on Tuesday, with 63 vehicles qualifying under significantly tougher criteria.
Of those, 45 earned the top-tier Top Safety Pick+ and 18 the standard Top Safety Pick.
The Tesla Cybertruck earned TSP+ and became the only pickup truck to hold the highest IIHS award, while the Rivian R1S joined a select group of large SUVs to earn the same distinction.
The Rivian R1T pickup and Tesla’s best-selling Model 3 and Model Y were all absent from the 2026 winners list.
What Changed
The IIHS raised the bar in several areas for 2026.
A Good rating in the updated moderate overlap front test — which now emphasises rear-seat passenger protection — is required for both award tiers.
Previously, an Acceptable rating was sufficient for the base Top Safety Pick.
The agency also introduced a new vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation as a requirement for TSP+, testing performance at 50, 60, and 70 km/h against passenger car, motorcycle, and semitrailer targets.
Front crash prevention systems must now be standard across all trims to qualify for either award.
“This year, we’re asking automakers to make excellent protection for back seat passengers the norm,” IIHS President David Harkey said.
Tesla
Tesla celebrated the Cybertruck’s result on X, writing: “As standards got tougher in 2026, Cybertruck is the only pickup with both an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Award AND NHTSA 5-star safety rating.”
The Cybertruck earned Good ratings across the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, and side tests.
The award applies to models built after April 2025, when Tesla reinforced the front underbody structure and footwell to improve occupant protection. The crash tests were conducted by Tesla and submitted to the IIHS.
The Cybertruck was one of only two large pickups to qualify for any award. The Toyota Tundra crew cab earned the standard Top Safety Pick.
However, the Cybertruck was the only Tesla on the 2026 list.
The Model 3, which earned a 2025 Top Safety Pick in December, does not appear on the 2026 winners — likely a casualty of the tighter moderate overlap front test requirement.
The Model 3 had scored Acceptable in that test, which was sufficient for a 2025 TSP but falls short of the Good rating now required for both 2026 award tiers.
The IIHS noted that measurements from the rear test dummy indicated “a somewhat elevated risk of chest injuries due to high belt forces.”
The Model Y, which held a TSP+ distinction in 2025, is also absent from the 2026 list. The IIHS has not publicly explained the omission.
Rivian
Rivian‘s R1S large SUV earned a 2026 Top Safety Pick+, joining the Volvo EX90 as one of only two large SUVs to earn the highest distinction.
The R1T pickup, however, was not included on the 2026 list.
The truck carries a 2025 Top Safety Pick badge for the 2026 model year but scored only Acceptable in the updated moderate overlap front test — the same test that tripped up the Model 3.
Under the 2026 criteria, the Acceptable rating disqualifies the R1T from both award tiers.
The divergence between the R1S and R1T is notable given that both vehicles share the same platform.
The R1S passed the tougher rear-seat protection standard where the R1T did not, suggesting differences in rear-seat occupant dynamics between the SUV and pickup body styles.
EV Winners
Eleven fully electric or plug-in hybrid models earned 2026 awards.
Among the TSP+ winners were the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Kia EV9, Genesis GV60, Genesis Electrified GV70, Rivian R1S, Volvo EX90, Tesla Cybertruck, and the Audi A6 Sportback e-tron, Q6 e-tron, and Q6 Sportback e-tron.
Audi’s three e-tron models — all rated for the 2027 model year — represent the largest single EV haul from any brand.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E earned the base Top Safety Pick, while the Volvo XC90 Plug-in Hybrid also earned a TSP.
Notably absent from the entire list are several high-volume EVs including the BMW i4, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Nissan Ariya, Volkswagen ID.4, and Ford F-150 Lightning — the latter of which received a Poor rating in the moderate overlap front test in its most recent evaluation.
Brand Leaders
Mazda led all manufacturers with eight TSP+ awards for the third consecutive year.
Hyundai followed with six, tied with Audi at six. Genesis earned five, and Kia took four — meaning the Hyundai Motor Group collectively dominated with 15 TSP+ awards across its three brands.
Subaru earned three TSP+ awards, with the Forester qualifying for the 20th consecutive year.
Nissan also secured three, with the Sentra earning TSP+ for the first time.
No minivans, minicars, or small pickups earned awards in 2026.
Harkey called out minivans specifically: “It’s disappointing that minivans continue to struggle to provide the best-available protection for passengers in the back, considering that these are supposed to be family vehicles.”
More than a dozen TSP+ winners carry starting prices under $30,000, with the Kia K4 at $22,290 as the most affordable.
The cheapest small SUV to earn any award is the Hyundai Kona at $25,500.
More than 77% of 2026 models tested met the standard for the new vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention evaluation, up from 70% of 2025 models.
“Improving crash avoidance is key to achieving our 30×30 vision of reducing US crash deaths by 30% by 2030,” Harkey said. “Stronger structures and better seat belts save lives, but the safest crash is the one that never happens.”
