The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced on May 14 that the 2026 Hyundai Palisade and the 2026 Toyota Prius have qualified for its highest safety award, Top Safety Pick Plus.
These awards are given to vehicles that meet rigorous criteria in crash tests and other safety evaluations. The recognition highlights ongoing efforts to improve vehicle safety standards, which can help reduce injuries and fatalities on U.S. roads.
The Hyundai Palisade earned the Top Safety Pick Plus award after improved performance in the moderate overlap front crash test. Only models built after November 2025, when Hyundai updated rear seat belt buckles, qualify for this accolade. Earlier versions do not receive either award due to an acceptable rating in the moderate overlap test. The Toyota Prius was upgraded from a Top Safety Pick to a Top Safety Pick Plus following new results in an updated vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation.
To earn either award this year, vehicles must achieve good ratings in several crash tests including moderate overlap front, small overlap front, and side crashes. They also need acceptable or good-rated headlights across all trim levels. For Top Safety Pick Plus status, vehicles must also score well in pedestrian front crash prevention and updated vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention evaluations with standard systems.
In addition to these two models, new ratings were released for fourteen other vehicles that did not qualify for either of the IIHS’s top awards this cycle. Two additional evaluations—seat belt reminders and LATCH ease of use—are included but are not part of the official award criteria; consumers may still wish to consider them when making purchasing decisions.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has contributed to reducing road fatalities through advancements in vehicle safety research and driver behavior studies; it operates a Vehicle Research Center designed specifically for testing purposes according to its official website. Founded by three major insurance associations representing most of the U.S. auto insurance market, IIHS continues its mission to minimize deaths, injuries, and property damage through research aimed at consumers as well as policymakers and safety professionals.according to the official website.
