Half a dozen 2025-model vehicles have snagged high safety ratings, while several others failed to attain awards status.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety bestowed it highest nod, the Top Safety Pick+ to models by four brands while it withheld awards from two Ford models and one Volkswagen vehicle.
Winning the top award were the Hyundai Elantra and Sonata, the Kia K4, Nissan Murano and Toyota bZ4X and Prius.
For several models, the honor applies only to units built after certain dates when their features qualified – Elantras built after last October, Sonatas built after November, K4s built after this past January, and bZ4Xs built after December.
To qualify for the top award or the one just under it, vehicles must pass front and side testing with good ratings, and pedestrian front crash-prevention and all-trims headlight evaluations with acceptable or good ratings.
Ford’s Bronco and Bronco Sport failed to place in awards categories because of only marginal ratings for headlights, pedestrian front crash prevention and front crash test performance.
Despite recent rear-seat restraint improvements, the VW Taos was rated acceptable or marginal in front crash testing. It was also rated marginal in pedestrian front crash prevention.
