IIHS Awards 2026 Top Safety Pick+ to Mazda CX-5, Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, Audi A6 and BMW X1

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced on July 9 that four additional 2026 vehicle models have earned its prestigious Top Safety Pick+ recognition during the latest round of safety evaluations. The newly recognized vehicles include the Mazda CX-5, Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, Audi A6 and BMW X1. These vehicles successfully met the organization's latest crashworthiness, lighting and crash prevention requirements established for the 2026 award program.

Updated IIHS Award Requirements for 2026

To qualify for either of the institute's annual safety awards in 2026, every vehicle must achieve good ratings in the moderate overlap front, small overlap front and side crash tests. In addition, every trim level must be equipped with headlights rated acceptable or good. Vehicles seeking the standard Top Safety Pick designation must also receive an acceptable or good result in the pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation, while the higher Top Safety Pick+ award demands an additional good rating in the pedestrian test together with an acceptable or good score in the updated vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation introduced during 2025.

Performance of the Newly Recognized Models

The redesigned 2026 Mazda CX-5 secured the highest award after earning good ratings in both the vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation and the pedestrian front crash prevention assessment. The Audi A6 also entered the current model year with a complete redesign, while the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid debuted as a newly launched model. Because of structural and restraint system differences, the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid was evaluated independently rather than being grouped with the conventional Crosstrek.

BMW X1 Completes the Latest Award List

The BMW X1 joined the list of Top Safety Pick+ recipients after obtaining a good rating in the moderate overlap front crash test, an evaluation it had not previously completed. With this result, all four newly assessed models satisfied the institute's latest award criteria, demonstrating strong crash protection performance alongside enhanced crash avoidance capabilities that reflect the increasingly demanding safety benchmarks applied to modern passenger vehicles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which vehicles received the latest 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards?
The latest recipients are the Mazda CX-5, Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, Audi A6 and BMW X1. Each vehicle met the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's updated 2026 evaluation criteria, including strong performance in crashworthiness tests, acceptable or good headlights across all trim levels, and high scores in pedestrian and vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention assessments. These results qualified each model for the institute's highest safety recognition.

What are the key requirements for earning a 2026 Top Safety Pick+ award?
Vehicles must achieve good ratings in the moderate overlap front, small overlap front and side crash tests, while every trim level must have acceptable or good headlights. They also need a good pedestrian front crash prevention rating and an acceptable or good score in the updated vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation introduced in 2025. Meeting all of these requirements qualifies a vehicle for the Top Safety Pick+ designation.