The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released its top safety picks for 2026. Three luxury cars earned the highest award of Top Safety Pick+. Only one luxury car earned the title of Top Safety Pick.
The IIHS puts vehicles through thorough crash testing and examines the functionality of multiple safety features in crash situations to grade vehicles and determine winners in multiple safety categories.
Here are the top luxury car IIHS safety picks for 2026 and what car buyers should know about each model.
The 2026 Audi A5 midsize luxury car is a Top Safety Choice+
Audi’s A5 midsize luxury car is the only model in its segment to receive a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS. It received the institute’s highest grades for all crashworthiness test categories and all crash avoidance and mitigation test categories.
Pricing for the 2026 Audi A5 starts at $50,200. It uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder to generate 268 horsepower. The mid-size luxury car gets 22 miles per gallon in the city and 31 miles per gallon on the highway.
Audi’s mid-size luxury car features a spacious interior and engaging dynamics. It comes standard with a number of safety features like pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane departure warning and forward collision mitigation with automatic emergency braking.
2027 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron earns top safety score
The A6 e-tron is an EV that comes with plenty of standard technology. It earned the highest IIHS grade for crashworthiness and is one of the few electric vehicles on the list of winners.
Pricing for Audi’s A6 Sportback e-tron starts at $66,700. It produces 375 horsepower and has a driving range of 326 miles.
Audi’s electric luxury car is powerful and has a strong driving range as per its segment. The A6 Sportback e-tron has standard active lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking and a 360-degree camera system.
2026 Genesis G80 is IIHS’s top safety pick
South Korean automaker Genesis is making big waves in the luxury vehicle landscape. The Genesis G80 large luxury car received perfect grades in the institute’s crashworthiness categories. IIHS notes that this award applies specifically to G80 models “built after June 2025.”
Pricing for the 2026 Genesis G80 starts at $58,450. It uses a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine to generate a mighty 300 horsepower (which is very good for its size). The G80 earns 20 miles per gallon in the city and 29 miles per gallon on the highway.
The large luxury car from Genesis has a sophisticated interior and a luxurious exterior design. It comes standard with a long list of safety features, including blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, forward collision-avoidance assist, and highway driving assist.
2026 Mercedes-Benz C-Class earns top marks for safety
The Mercedes C-Class is a tough competitor in its segment. Mercedes’ midsize luxury car earned the institute’s highest grades for its crashworthiness categories, including small overlap front crash, moderate overlap front crash and side crash.
Pricing for the 2026 Mercedes-Benz C-Class starts at $49,650. It uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a mild hybrid system to produce 255 horsepower. The C-Class gets 25 miles per gallon in the city and 35 miles per gallon on the highway.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class models are known for their refined cabin and agile handling. The C-Class has several standard safety features, including driver attention assist, blind-spot assist with automatic emergency braking, and exit warning.
If you’re looking for a safe, refined, and stylish luxury car, there are plenty of solid options on the market.
Charles Singh is an Autos Connect reporter for The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at (email protected)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What are the safest luxury cars for 2026? Earn 4 top scores
Reporting by Charles Singh, USA TODAY/USA TODAY
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