The Kia Telluride and Tesla Model Y have earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest safety award, joining the latest group of vehicles to receive a Top Safety Pick+ rating while Buick, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen remain without one in this round of testing.
Telluride and Model Y Earn IIHS’ Top Award
The redesigned 2027 Kia Telluride and updated 2026-2027 Tesla Model Y both received Top Safety Pick+ awards in the latest IIHS testing. The award is the highest rating given by the crash safety group.
Neither result comes as a major surprise. The previous-generation Telluride also earned a Top Safety Pick+ award, while the prior-year Model Y received the same recognition.
The latest testing round also included BMW, Lexus and Toyota models that did not receive awards.
What It Takes to Earn Top Safety Pick+
Achieving a Top Safety Pick award requires strong results across several IIHS evaluations. A vehicle must earn a “good” rating in the IIHS moderate overlap front, small overlap front and side crash tests.
It must also have “good” or “acceptable” headlights across all trim levels and achieve an “acceptable” or “good” rating in the pedestrian front crash prevention test.
For the additional “+” designation, a vehicle must earn a “good” rating on the pedestrian crash prevention test and an “acceptable” or “good” rating in the vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation, which was launched in 2024.
IIHS Ratings Can Change From Year to Year
Comparing Top Safety Pick+ awards between different model years is not always straightforward because the IIHS changes its criteria as vehicle safety advances.
That means a Top Safety Pick+ award confirms that a vehicle met the requirements in the year it received the award, but it may not satisfy the organization’s current testing standards.
The 2027 Kia Telluride earned “good,” the highest IIHS rating, across all tests, including seatbelt reminders. The Tesla Model Y also received “good” ratings in every test except seat belt reminders, where it earned a “marginal” rating.
IIHS ratings progress from “good” to “acceptable,” “marginal” and “poor.”
BMW, Lexus and Toyota Models Miss Out
The latest testing round included the BMW 3 Series and i4, neither of which received an award. The BMW 3 Series received a “marginal” rating in front vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention.
The BMW i4 received “marginal” and “poor” ratings for its headlight offerings, along with a “poor” rating for standard vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention.
The Lexus IS received a “marginal” rating in the moderate overlap front crash test. The 2026 Toyota Crown Signia also received a “marginal” rating in that test.
Both Tesla and Kia have multiple Top Safety Pick+ awards.
Why IIHS Safety Ratings Matter
The IIHS provides safety testing that goes beyond NHTSA testing and minimum requirements, offering additional information about how vehicles perform in crashes and in efforts to avoid them.
The vast majority of new vehicles undergo the group’s testing. Even when a vehicle does not receive a Top Safety Pick+ rating, the results can show where it performs well and where it falls short compared with other vehicles from the same model years.
Latest Top Safety Pick+ Winners
The Kia Telluride and Tesla Model Y are not the only vehicles to earn Top Safety Pick+ recognition, but they are among the latest winners. The IIHS maintains a complete list of award recipients, while Buick, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are notably absent from the latest group mentioned.
