The 2026 BMW X1 has earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation, showing that BMW’s smallest SUV continues to deliver strong safety performance despite its position as one of the brand’s least expensive vehicles. The X1 joins the BMW X3 and X5 among the organization’s top safety picks for 2026 after completing a newly required crash test and performing strongly with its standard collision-avoidance systems.
BMW X1 Meets Tougher 2026 Safety Standards
For 2026, the IIHS requires vehicles seeking a Top Safety Pick+ award to earn good ratings in the small-overlap front, updated moderate-overlap front, and updated side crash tests.
The organization also requires headlights to receive an “acceptable” or “good” rating across every trim level. Standard safety technology is another key requirement, including a pedestrian-detection system with a good rating and a vehicle-to-vehicle front crash-prevention system rated “acceptable” or “good.”
The 2026 BMW X1 received good scores in all three required crashworthiness evaluations as well as for its headlights. Its pedestrian front-crash-prevention system also received a good rating, while its vehicle-to-vehicle system earned an acceptable rating.
New Crash Test Adds to X1 Safety Evaluation
The vehicle-to-vehicle evaluation goes beyond approaching a stationary vehicle at low speed. IIHS tests the system against passenger-car and motorcycle targets at speeds reaching 43 mph, including situations in which the target is offset from the center of the lane.
The updated moderate-overlap front crash test also introduces an additional focus on rear-passenger protection by placing a dummy in the second row.
During 2025, an acceptable result was enough to qualify for the regular Top Safety Pick award. For 2026, IIHS requires a good rating in the test for either award.
Standard Safety Systems Help X1 Reach Top Tier
Top Safety Pick+ candidates must also earn a good pedestrian-avoidance rating and pass the newer vehicle-to-vehicle evaluation. Qualifying crash-prevention systems must now be standard rather than optional.
According to IIHS, the X1 reached the Top Safety Pick+ level after earning a good score in the moderate-overlap test, which it had not previously completed.
The designation applies across the entire 2026 X1 lineup, including the 241-horsepower xDrive28i and 312-horsepower M35i.
BMW X1 Faces Limited Competition in Its Class
The BMW X1 is currently one of only two compact luxury SUVs considered a Top Safety Pick+ by IIHS. The other is the Genesis GV60.
The competition becomes broader in the midsize luxury SUV segment. The BMW X3 and X5 both earned Top Safety Pick+ designations, while rivals from Audi, Genesis, Infiniti, and Lexus also achieved the award.
BMW X1 Returns to the Top Safety Tier
The X1’s latest recognition also represents a return to the highest IIHS safety tier. The model achieved a Top Safety Pick+ designation back in 2023, but was relegated to the lower-tier award in 2023 and 2024.
With its 2026 results, the BMW X1 has returned to the Top Safety Pick+ designation under the IIHS’s tougher requirements.
