- Redesigned Telluride 3-row SUVs made after June qualify for the industry’s top safety award.
- Redesigned Tesla Model Y EV earned top ratings as well from the IIHS.
- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a nonprofit safety agency funded by the insurance industry.
Two of the most popular vehicles in their segments earned top safety honors, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced Thursday. The redesigned 2027 Kia Telluride 3-row SUV and 2026/2027 Tesla Model Y both earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating, widely considered to be the most rigorous independent crash-test rating in the industry.
The IIHS notes that only Telluride models built after June 2026 qualify for the award because earlier models had “Marginal” headlight ratings. Subsequent models are rated “Good.”
The IIHS currently assesses crash-worthiness in three categories: a small overlap front test, a moderate overlap front test, and a side-impact test. To earn a TSP+, it must also earn top “Good” ratings for its headlights and the efficacy of its automatic emergency braking system with other vehicles and pedestrians. The testing protocol is more varied and rigorous than crash-test assessments from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The IIHS updates its testing regularly based on automaker compliance, so it’s always raising the safety bar. Earlier this year, the IIHS doled out 45 TSP+ awards, down from 66 last year at the same time. The agency tests new and redesigned vehicles as they roll out to consumers.
The redesigned Kia Telluride went on sale in February and still reigns as our Best Midsize SUV. The redesigned Tesla Model Y is the best-selling EV in the world. A new extended-wheelbase Model Y L was also introduced this year, but the IIHS has not tested it.
