62 vehicle models meet tougher criteria to earn 2018 IIHS awards
ARLINGTON, Va. — Just 15 vehicles qualify for the Top Safety Pick+ award from IIHS after the requirements were strengthened to include good-rated headlights and good or acceptable passenger-side protection in small overlap front crashes.
Another 47 vehicles earn the Top Safety Pick award, which now requires acceptable or good headlights. In contrast, headlights weren't factored in for 2017 Top Safety Pick, and an acceptable headlight rating was enough to bump a 2017 award winner into "plus" territory.
The inclusion of a passenger-side crash test is a first for any IIHS award. The Institute developed the passenger-side small overlap front crash test after it became clear that some manufacturers weren't paying sufficient attention to the passenger side as they made improvements to achieve better performance in the driver-side small overlap front test.
The 15 Top Safety Pick+ winners include four small cars, three midsize cars, five large luxury cars, two midsize nonluxury SUVs and one midsize luxury SUV. No minivans, pickups or minicars earn the highest award. Models from a wider range of vehicle types earn Top Safety Pick, but there are no minicars in that category either.
