The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) announced earlier this year that it would include a new passenger-side crash test as part of its criteria for the coveted Top Safety Pick+ award. With the updated tests, there are now only 15 vehicles that have the highest Top Safety Pick+ award, while an additional 47 have earned the 2018 Top Safety Pick award.
The IIHS decided to add the passenger-side small overlap front crash test after it became clear that some manufacturers weren’t paying sufficient attention to the passenger side as they made improvements to achieve better performance in the driver-side small overlap front test.
“Drivers expect that their passengers, who are often family, will be protected just as well as they are,” says IIHS President Adrian Lund. “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.”
To be eligible for the 2018 Top Safety Pick+ award a vehicle has to receive a good rating in the driver’s small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side impact, roof strength and head restraints, in addition to good-rated headlights and a good or acceptable rating for passenger-side protection.
To be eligible for the lower 2018 Top Safety Pick award a vehicle’s headlights now have to have an acceptable or good rating. The 2017 award did not factor in headlights, since good headlights bumped a vehicle up to the “plus” level.
2018 Top Safety Pick+ vehicles:
Small cars
Kia Forte sedan
Kia Soul
Subaru Impreza
4-door sedan | 4-door wagon
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 SUV
Mercedes-Benz GLC
2018 Top Safety Pick vehicles:
Small cars
Chevrolet Volt
Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid
Hyundai Elantra
Hyundai Elantra GT
Mazda 3
4-door sedan | 4-door hatchback
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
Source: IIHS
