Audi A6, BMW X1, Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Earn Top Safety Pick+ Awards
IIHS names four 2026 models — Audi A6, BMW X1, Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid — as Top Safety Pick+ winners in its latest crash and safety ratings.
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What Happened
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded Top Safety Pick+ for 2026 to the Audi A6, BMW X1, Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. To qualify, vehicles must earn good ratings in the moderate overlap front, small overlap front and side crash tests and have acceptable- or good-rated headlights across all trim levels. New ratings for five other models that do not qualify for either award were also released.
- Audi A6
- BMW X1
- Mazda CX-5
- Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid
For a 2026 Top Safety Pick award, vehicles also need an acceptable or good rating in the pedestrian front crash prevention test. The plus version requires a good rating in that evaluation and an acceptable or good rating in the updated vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation introduced last year. Qualifying front crash prevention systems must be standard equipment for either award.
The A6 was redesigned for the current model year, and the Crosstrek Hybrid is a new launch; both earn good ratings in the vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation. The Crosstrek Hybrid is rated separately from the conventional Crosstrek because of differences in their structures and restraints, unlike most non-plug-in hybrids. The X1 earned a good rating in the moderate overlap front crash test, which it had not undergone earlier. The redesigned CX-5 earns the plus with good ratings in the vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian tests, while the 2025 model earned a poor vehicle-to-vehicle rating and was not rated in the current pedestrian evaluation, which incorporates day and night performance.
Two additional evaluations — seat belt reminders and LATCH ease of use — are not part of the award criteria but are included in the ratings table, and consumers may factor them into purchase decisions. Complete ratings are available for nine recently tested vehicles. Small overlap front and moderate overlap front ratings should be compared only among vehicles of similar weight; other ratings can be compared across vehicle categories.
Why this matters
The awards tell car shoppers which new models excel in both crashworthiness and crash-avoidance technology, including an updated vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test introduced last year. Winning vehicles must also offer qualifying headlights and front crash prevention systems as standard equipment. With complete ratings for nine recently tested vehicles, buyers can also see which models fell short.
Terms in This Story
- Top Safety Pick+
- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's highest award, requiring strong crash-test performance, good headlights and high-performing front crash prevention systems.
- Vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention
- A safety system that detects vehicles ahead and can automatically brake to avoid or reduce the severity of a crash.
- Pedestrian front crash prevention
- A system that detects pedestrians in the vehicle's path and can automatically brake to avoid or mitigate a collision.
- LATCH
- Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, a standardized system for securing child safety seats in vehicles.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.