The redesigned 2027 Kia Telluride and the 2026-27 Tesla Model Y have earned Top Safety Pick+ awards, the highest rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in results the institute released Sept. 3. Five other vehicles rated at the same time, the BMW 3 Series and i4, the GMC Canyon crew cab, the Lexus IS and the Toyota Crown Signia, did not qualify for either 2026 award.
The Telluride's award comes with a condition. IIHS says it applies only to Tellurides built after June 2026, which have good-rated headlights; earlier 2027 models came with headlights rated marginal. Kia's own announcement carries the same build-date limit, so anyone shopping for a new Telluride should ask the dealer when that specific vehicle was built.
What it took to win
IIHS raised the bar for 2026. Both awards require good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front and side crash tests, plus acceptable or good headlights on every trim. The moderate overlap test was updated in 2022 to focus on back-seat passengers, and this year a good rating is required for either award, not just the plus. Top Safety Pick+ also requires a standard front crash prevention system rated good in the pedestrian test and acceptable or good in the vehicle-to-vehicle evaluation introduced in 2024, which includes runs at 31, 37 and 43 mph toward a car, a motorcycle and a semitrailer.
The Telluride earned good ratings in every one of those evaluations and in the seat belt reminder assessment, which IIHS publishes but does not count toward awards. The Model Y, redesigned for 2026, was also good across the award criteria, though its seat belt reminders were rated marginal.
IIHS crash-test ratings released Sept. 3, 2026
| Vehicle | Small overlap | Moderate overlap | Side | 2026 award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Kia Telluride (built after June 2026) | Good | Good | Good | Top Safety Pick+ |
| 2026-27 Tesla Model Y | Good | Good | Good | Top Safety Pick+ |
| 2026 BMW 3 Series | Good | Acceptable | Good | None |
| 2026 BMW i4 | Good (incomplete) | Good | Good | None |
| 2026 GMC Canyon crew cab | Good | Marginal | Good | None |
| 2026 Lexus IS | Not rated | Marginal | Acceptable | None |
| 2026 Toyota Crown Signia | Good | Marginal | Good | None |
IIHS lists the i4's small overlap rating as incomplete. Source: IIHS.
Headlight and crash-prevention ratings
| Vehicle | Headlights | Vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention | Pedestrian crash prevention |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Kia Telluride (built after June 2026) | Good | Good | Good |
| 2026-27 Tesla Model Y | Good | Good | Good |
| 2026 BMW 3 Series | Acceptable | Marginal | Good |
| 2026 BMW i4 | Marginal/Poor | Poor | Good |
| 2026 GMC Canyon crew cab | Acceptable | Poor | Acceptable |
| 2026 Lexus IS | Good/Acceptable | Good | Good |
| 2026 Toyota Crown Signia | Good | Good | Good |
Ratings for standard crash prevention systems. Where two headlight ratings appear, they vary by trim. Source: IIHS.
Why the others fell short
The moderate overlap test, which measures protection for a rear-seat passenger, kept four of the five from qualifying. The Crown Signia, Canyon and Lexus IS were rated marginal there and the 3 Series acceptable, short of the good rating both awards now require. The Lexus IS also has no small overlap rating, and the standard crash prevention systems on the Canyon and 3 Series scored poor and marginal, respectively, in the vehicle-to-vehicle test. The BMW i4 earned good ratings in the moderate overlap and side tests, but its headlights were rated marginal or poor depending on trim, and its crash prevention system was poor in the vehicle-to-vehicle test.
What changed on the Telluride
Kia says the second-generation Telluride, which it assembles in the U.S., has a more rigid body structure and 10 standard airbags, including a new front-center airbag between the driver and front passenger. Second-row seat belt buckles are illuminated and the third-row belts have pre-tensioners. The 2027 Telluride starts at $39,190 for an LX with front-wheel drive, and the first Telluride Hybrid, rated by the EPA at 35 mpg combined in EX FWD form, starts at $46,490. Both prices exclude destination.
Kia now has five 2026 Top Safety Pick+ winners: the Telluride, K4, EV9, Sorento and Sportage. The Sorento and Sportage awards also depend on build dates, after September 2025 and after May 2025, respectively. Across all brands, the IIHS list of 2026 winners showed 53 Top Safety Pick+ entries in early October, up from 45 when the awards were announced in March.