Nine small SUVs qualified for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s 2026 Top Safety Pick+ designation, the insurance industry group’s highest award.
The awards come as 35 of the 45 winners for the group’s Top Safety Pick+ designation this year are SUVs, and 12 of its 18 Top Safety Pick winners are SUVs, in the latest sign of a shift toward larger vehicles in the U.S. auto market.
The IIHS said it wants carmakers to improve safety in all types of vehicles.
“This year, we’re asking automakers to make excellent safety for rear-seat passengers the norm,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “For Top Safety Pick+, we need a crash avoidance system that is better at preventing pedestrian crashes as well as high-speed crashes with other vehicles.”
The USA TODAY Cars team took a look at the IIHS rankings and compiled a list of the safest small SUVs.
1. Genesis GV60
MSRP: $54,020
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What Genesis says: When several of Genesis’ cars won 2025 Top Safety Picks, a press release said the designation “positively promotes Genesis’ reputation as a manufacturer of safe vehicles in the U.S. market. This is because U.S. consumers trust IIHS’s scientific and systematic safety assessment methods.”
2. Honda HR-V
MSRP: $26,795
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What Honda says: Honda said in a press release that the HR-V and its other Top Safety Pick winners “are indicative of the company’s long-standing ‘Safety for All’ approach, a commitment to enhancing safety for everyone on the road.”
3. Hyundai Ioniq 5
MSRP: $36,600
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What Hyundai says: “This recognition highlights Hyundai’s dedication to achieving and maintaining the highest safety standards in the automotive industry,” Hyundai said in a press release.
4. Hyundai Kona
MSRP: $25,500
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What Hyundai says: “2026 TSP+ awards are given to vehicles that meet rigorous criteria set by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), including advanced crashworthiness and passenger protection requirements,” Hyundai said in a press release.
5. Hyundai Tucson
MSRP: $30,800
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What Hyundai says: Hyundai said in a press release that its IIHS awards highlight “the brand’s commitment to crashworthiness and occupant safety” and “the safe vehicles within each category, helping consumers make informed choices.”
6. Kia Sportage
MSRP: $28,690
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What Kia says: “The expansion of our IIHS accreditation to more models reflects how we are prioritizing safety as the agency’s standards in safety continue to evolve,” Seungkyu (Sean) Yoon, president and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America, said in a press release.
7. Mazda CX-30
MSRP: $25,795
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What Mazda Says: “Its long-term commitment to real-world safety is reflected in its historic record, which has now earned 99 IIHS Top Safety Awards since 2008, 73 of which are Top Safety Pick+ – a testament to nearly two decades of continuous improvement and leadership in safety engineering,” Mazda says in a press release.
8. Mazda CX-50
MSRP: $29,990
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What Mazda Says: “Mazda vehicles are once again among the safest vehicles on the road, earning eight 2026 Top Safety Pick+ awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), more than any other brand. This is the third consecutive year Mazda has debuted as an industry leader in the highest level of IIHS recognition – a remarkable accomplishment considering that the criteria Getting tougher every year.”
9.Subaru Forester
MSRP: $29,995
IIHS Safety Rating: Top Safety Pick+
What Subaru says: “Earning the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award for 2026 is a defining achievement for Subaru when considering the advanced testing criteria,” Jeff Walters, president and chief operating officer of Subaru of America Inc., said in a press release.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here are the 9 safest small SUVs money can buy in 2026.
Reporting by Keith Lang, USA TODAY/USA TODAY
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