Arlington, Va., Feb. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is recognizing 65 models with the 2022 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, as improved headlight offerings boost more vehicles into the top tier.
Another 36 models earn the lower-tier TOP SAFETY PICK award for a total of 101 winners overall. This time last year, there were 90 winners, including 49 earning TOP SAFETY PICK+.
“We’re excited to see more vehicles on this list in 2022,” says IIHS President David Harkey. “Our awards make it easy for car buyers to find models that will protect them in a crash and increase the odds they’ll never be in one. By shooting for TOP SAFETY PICK+, automakers are showing that they’re committed to the same goal.”
Hyundai Motor Group, which includes the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands, has the most 2022 awards overall and the most awards in each category — 11 TOP SAFETY PICK+ and 10 TOP SAFETY PICK awards for a total of 21. Volkswagen Group, which includes the Volkswagen and Audi brands, is not far behind with eight TOP SAFETY PICK+ and three TOP SAFETY PICK awards. Volvo earns 10 TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards.
Four minivans qualify for awards this year, compared with only two in February last year. This year’s winners include the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Pacifica and Kia Carnival. Four pickup trucks — the Ram 1500 crew cab, Ford F-150 extended cab and crew cab and the Hyundai Santa Cruz — also made the list. Only the Ram 1500 crew cab qualified for an award at the time of the initial 2021 TOP SAFETY PICK announcement.
All the 2022 award winners earn good ratings in six IIHS crashworthiness tests, including the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests. They are also available with front crash prevention systems that earn advanced or superior ratings in both the vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations, as well as at least one headlight system that earns a good or acceptable rating.
For the 65 TOP SAFETY PICK+ recipients, good or acceptable headlights are standard across all trims. Although standard acceptable headlights can qualify for the higher award, a total of 31 models come exclusively with good-rated headlights.
Along with improving their headlight offerings this year, manufacturers made vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention standard on more models. Front crash prevention that earns an advanced or superior rating in both evaluations is standard on all but two TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners and 30 out of 36 TOP SAFETY PICK winners.
While front crash prevention does not have to be standard to qualify for either award, the automakers have pledged to make vehicle-to-vehicle automatic emergency braking standard on nearly all the light-duty vehicles they produce beginning this September.
The award criteria remain unchanged from last year, but, beginning in 2023, IIHS will add two new evaluations to the award requirements.
The updated side test the Institute introduced in 2021 — which is conducted at a higher speed and with a heavier movable barrier — will replace the original side test in the criteria. A good or acceptable rating will be required for TOP SAFETY PICK, while a good rating will be necessary to earn the “plus.”
A nighttime pedestrian crash prevention test will also be added. For 2023, this new test will not be part of the criteria for TOP SAFETY PICK, but vehicles will need to earn an advanced or superior rating to qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK+.
Also beginning in 2023, only vehicles that come with standard good or acceptable headlights across all trims and packages will be eligible for either award.
“Manufacturers deserve congratulations for the steady improvements they’ve made since we last updated our award requirements, but with U.S. traffic fatalities expected to exceed 40,000 people in 2021, it’s no time for anybody to rest on their laurels,” says Harkey. “A key reason vehicles have continued to get safer over the more than 25 years since the Institute began our ratings program is that we have never shied away from raising the bar. The high number of TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners shows that it’s time to push for additional changes.”
See below for the full list of winners. For details on each vehicle, go to iihs.org/ratings.
VNR: Thurs. 2/24/2022, 10:30-11 a.m. ET; repeat 1:30-2 p.m. ET (KU) GALAXY 17
SD transponder 14/slot 4 (dl11983V) bandwidth 6 MHz; symbol rate 3.9787 FEC ¾
HD transponder 17-lower (dl11971V) bandwidth 18 MHz; symbol rate 13.235 FEC ¾
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses — deaths, injuries and property damage — from motor vehicle crashes. IIHS is wholly supported by auto insurers.
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2022 TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests. They also have an advanced or superior rating for available front crash prevention — in both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations — and have acceptable or good headlights standard.
Small cars
Honda Civic hatchback
Honda Civic sedan
Honda Insight
Mazda 3 hatchback
Mazda 3 sedan
Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid
Midsize cars
Honda Accord
Kia K5
Nissan Altima
Nissan Maxima
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Toyota Camry
Midsize luxury cars
Acura TLX
Lexus ES 350
Lexus IS
Tesla Model 3
Volvo S60
Volvo S60 Recharge
Volvo V60 Cross Country
Large cars
Kia Stinger
Large luxury cars
Audi A6
Audi A6 allroad
Audi A7
Genesis G70 built after June 2021
Genesis G80
Genesis G90
Mercedes-Benz E-Class with optional front crash prevention
Small SUVs
Chevrolet Trailblazer
Ford Bronco Sport
Hyundai Tucson
Mazda CX-5
Mazda CX-30
Mitsubishi Outlander built after June 2021
Nissan Rogue
Volvo C40 Recharge
Volvo XC40
Volvo XC40 Recharge
Midsize SUVs
Ford Explorer
Hyundai Palisade
Hyundai Santa Fe built after July 2021
Mazda CX-9
Nissan Murano
Subaru Ascent
Toyota Highlander
Volkswagen ID.4
Midsize luxury SUVs
Acura MDX
Acura RDX
Audi Q5
Audi Q5 Sportback
Cadillac XT6
Genesis GV70
Genesis GV80
Hyundai Nexo
Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class with optional front crash prevention
Tesla Model Y
Volvo XC60
Volvo XC60 Recharge
Volvo XC90
Volvo XC90 Recharge
Large SUVs
Audi e-tron
Audi e-tron Sportback
Minivans
Chrysler Pacifica
Honda Odyssey
Toyota Sienna
TOP SAFETY PICK winners earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests. They also have an advanced or superior rating for available front crash prevention — in both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations — and have acceptable or good headlights available, but not standard. Vehicles qualify for the award only when equipped with those headlights.
Small cars
Hyundai Elantra
Kia Soul with optional front crash prevention
Nissan Sentra
Subaru Crosstrek with optional front crash prevention
Subaru Impreza hatchback with optional front crash prevention
Midsize car
Hyundai Sonata
Midsize luxury cars
Audi A4
Audi A5 Sportback
BMW 2 series Gran Coupe
BMW 3 series
Large cars
Toyota Avalon
Small SUVs
Buick Encore GX
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V
Hyundai Venue
Kia Seltos
Kia Sportage with optional front crash prevention
Lexus UX
Lincoln Corsair
Toyota C-HR
Toyota Venza
Midsize SUVs
Ford Edge
Ford Mustang Mach-E
Kia Sorento
Kia Telluride
Midsize luxury SUVs
BMW X5
Lexus RX
Lincoln Aviator
Lincoln Nautilus
Mercedes-Benz GLC with optional front crash prevention
Large SUVs
Audi Q8
Minivans
Kia Carnival built after March 2021
Small pickups
Hyundai Santa Cruz
Large pickups
Ford F-150 crew cab
Ford F-150 extended cab
Ram 1500 crew cab with optional front crash prevention
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