The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced on May 14 that the 2026 Hyundai Palisade and the 2026 Toyota Prius have both qualified for its highest safety award, Top Safety Pick Plus.
These awards are significant because they recognize vehicles that meet high standards in crash protection and crash prevention. The announcement provides consumers with updated information to help guide their vehicle purchasing decisions based on safety performance.
The Palisade received the Top Safety Pick Plus award after improved results in the moderate overlap front crash test. Only Palisades built after November 2025, when Hyundai made changes to rear seat belt buckles, qualify for this recognition. Earlier models do not qualify due to an acceptable rating in the same test. The Prius was upgraded from a previous Top Safety Pick award to “plus” status following new results from an updated vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation. “The Prius earned a Top Safety Pick when the first batch of 2026 winners was announced in March. At the time, it missed out on the ‘plus’ because it had not undergone the updated vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test. With the results of that evaluation now available, all 2026 models qualify for the ‘plus.'”
To earn either IIHS award this year, vehicles must achieve good ratings in moderate overlap front, small overlap front, and side crash tests as well as acceptable or good headlights across all trim levels. For Top Safety Pick Plus status specifically, vehicles also need a good rating in pedestrian front crash testing and at least an acceptable rating in updated vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention; qualifying systems must be standard equipment.
New ratings were also released for fourteen other recently tested models that did not qualify for either accolade. Additional IIHS evaluations such as seat belt reminders and LATCH ease of use are included but are not part of official award criteria.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has played a role in reducing road fatalities through advancements in vehicle safety research and driver behavior initiatives, according to the official website. The organization operates a Vehicle Research Center designed specifically for conducting these assessments and was created by three major insurance associations representing most of the U.S. auto insurance market. According to its official website, IIHS seeks to minimize deaths and injuries through research aimed at consumers and policymakers while influencing state laws regarding seat belts and driver licensing.
