- Five more vehicles have received IIHS’s Top Safety Pick+ award, including the 2025 Honda Civic and Toyota Camry
- Three vehicles received the next-step-down Top Safety Pick award, including the 2025 Honda Civic hatchback
- Upgrades to IIHS testing include a new side test that better simulates being struck by a large SUV
Eight vehicles, representing five auto manufacturers, are the latest to receive the highest safety awards from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Taking the highest Top Safety Pick+ awards are the 2024 Genesis Electrifed GV70, 2025 Genesis GV70, 2025 Honda Civic Sedan, 2024 Subaru Solterra, and 2025 Toyota Camry. Three more took the next-step-down Top Safety Pick: the 2025 Honda Civic Hatchback, 2025 Mini Countryman, and 2024 Subaru WRX.
These bring the most recent tally of 2024 Top Safety Pick+ winners to 38, along with 53 earning the 2024 Top Safety Pick.
The IIHS has been updating some of its tests, and gradually – because it takes a lot of time and money to test all vehicles – adjusting the requirements for the awards. The upgrades include a new side test that better simulates being struck by a large SUV; and moderate front overlap crash that now evaluates potential injury to a rear-seat passenger, as well as to those in front. The pedestrian front crash prevention system used to be evaluated in two separate tests of daytime and nighttime performance; it’s now a single test that includes both.
To qualify for a Top Safety Pick in 2024, a vehicle must earn the top “Good” rating in the small overlap front crash – which remains unchanged – and the updated side test; receive “Good” in the original moderate overlap, which doesn’t include the rear-seat passenger; “Good” or next-step-down “Acceptable” in the pedestrian front crash; and “Good” or “Acceptable” for its headlight performance in all trims.
To get a Pick+, a vehicle must do all that plus earn “Good” or “Acceptable” in the updated front crash test. All vehicles are also rated on the performance of their seatbelt reminders and how easy it is to use their child seat tether anchors, but these are not part of the award requirements.
While they earned a Top Safety Pick, the Civic Hatchback and Mini have not yet been rated in the updated front crash test. The Subaru WRX was and rated “Marginal.”
The two Genesis models only receive their Pick+ awards for vehicles built after April 2024, when the automaker made improvements to the rear seatbelts.
In this round, the IIHS also tested the 2024 Buick Envista, 2024 Chevrolet Trax, and 2024 Kia Seltos, but none qualified for awards. All three earned “Good” in the small overlap front, and in the original moderate front crash. However, in the updated front test, the Envista and Trax earned “Poor,” while the Seltos earned “Acceptable.” In the updated side test, the Envista and Trax earned “Acceptable” but the Seltos was “Marginal.” For headlights, the Envista and Trax were “Marginal,” while the Seltos earned “Poor” on at least one of its trim levels. The front crash prevention system was “Acceptable” on the Envista and Seltos, but “Marginal” on the Trax.
Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on X, Tiktok and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice.