Kia and Tesla have both just done something Buick, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen haven’t. The two have each just been awarded another of the top safety awards given by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Two SUVs, the redesigned Kia Telluride and the updated Tesla Model Y, got their prizes in the same round of testing where BMW, Lexus, and Toyota all missed out.

Kia And Tesla Show The Rest How It’s Done

Kia

In the latest round of tests from the IIHS, the 2027 Kia Telluride and 2026-2027 Tesla Model Y were both awarded Top Safety Pick+, the highest award the crash safety group has. While the Kia is all-new this year and the Tesla was moderately redesigned, neither award is a surprise. The previous-generation Telluride also earned a TSP+ award, as did the prior-year Model Y.

Getting a TSP+ award isn’t easy. To get the Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle has to achieve a “good” rating in IIHS moderate overlap front, small overlap front, and side crash tests, as well as have “good” or “acceptable” rated headlights on all trim levels. It also has to earn “acceptable” or “good” on the pedestrian front crash prevention test.

To get the “+”, a vehicle needs to have “good” on the pedestrian crash prevention test as well as “acceptable” or “good” on a vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation that was launched in 2024.

Can I Compare Year To Year?

Tesla

The IIHS changes the criteria from year to year as vehicle safety advances. So a Top Safety Pick+ award means the vehicle met the standard in the year it was awarded, but may not by the current tests.

Kia’s 2027 Telluride scored “good,” the highest of the rankings, on all tests, including seatbelt reminders. The Model Y achieved “good” on all but seat belt reminders, where it achieved a “marginal.” IIHS scores start with “good,” then “acceptable,” “marginal,” and “poor.”

Other vehicles in the latest round of testing include the BMW 3 Series and i4, which did not receive awards. The 3 received a “marginal” in front vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention, while the i3 received “marginal” and “poor” for its headlight offerings and “poor” for the standard vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention.

The Lexus IS received a “marginal” for moderate overlap front crash, as did the 2026 Toyota Crown Signia. Tesla and Kia both have multiple TSP+ awards.

CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:

IIHS

Safety is never a bad thing, and when it comes to ranking cars in the US it’s tough to beat the IIHS. The insurance company-funded group’s tests go far beyond NHTSA testing and minimum requirements to give you a better idea of what vehicle can help you both survive a crash and avoid one entirely.

The vast majority of new vehicles get put through the group’s tests, so even if the one you’re shopping for doesn’t have a TSP+ rating, you can see where it does and doesn’t stack up and compare it with other vehicles of the same years.

The Telluride and Model Y are far from the only Top Safety Pick+ winners, but they are the latest. The IIHS has a complete list, but the brands we mentioned up top are notably missing.

Source: IIHS