• Palisade brings Hyundai’s total to eight 2026 IIHS Top Safety Awards
• IIHS testing criteria now includes more stringent standards for back seat passengers and crash avoidance systems

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., May 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The all-new 2026 Hyundai Palisade (built after November 2025) received the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety’s top accolade—the 2026 TOP SAFETY PICK+ (TSP+) award. 2026 Palisades produced after November 2025 earned high marks in all evaluation areas, including the moderate front overlap, small front overlap, side impact, and pedestrian front crash prevention tests, as well as the updated vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test introduced last year.

Eight Hyundai vehicles have earned IIHS Top Safety awards. The other Hyundai vehicles awarded 2026 TSP+ include the 2026 IONIQ 5,  IONIQ 9, Sonata, Kona, Tucson,  Santa Fe, while the 2026 Elantra received a 2026 TOP SAFETY PICK (TSP). The 2026 TSP+ awards are given to vehicles that meet rigorous criteria set by IIHS, including advanced crashworthiness and occupant protection requirements.

“Hyundai remains committed to crashworthiness and occupant protection by rigorously assessing all aspects of crash scenarios and performance,” stated Cole Stutz, chief safety officer at Hyundai Motor North America. “The TSP+ designation awarded to six Hyundai SUVs, and a sedan, reflects a significant achievement for the company’s engineering and product development teams. This recognition underscores Hyundai’s ongoing dedication to upholding the highest safety standards within the automotive industry.”

All 2026 Hyundai vehicles include six standard SmartSense safety features including Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Forward Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection, Rear Occupant Alert (door logic) and High Beam Assist. The SmartSense suite of optional safety and convenience technologies help drivers look ahead, anticipate driving situations, and provide alerts to help keep drivers and passengers safe.

“Hyundai should be commended for improving protection for second-row passengers in the 2026 Palisade,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “With the changes it made to vehicles built after November 2025, the 2026 Palisade is a TOP SAFETY PICK+ winner and has good ratings across the board.”

To earn a TSP+ for 2026, IIHS now requires improved crash avoidance systems that prevent pedestrian and high-speed vehicle crashes, as well as enhanced rear seat passenger protection. Vehicles must receive a “good” rating in the moderate front overlap test, a higher standard than last year’s “acceptable” requirement for the TSP award. In addition, vehicles must earn a good rating in small overlap front, side, and the pedestrian front crash prevention test, an acceptable or good rating for headlights, and an acceptable or good rating in the updated vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 front crash prevention evaluation that was introduced last year. Additionally, qualifying front crash prevention systems must be standard for either award in 2026.

For 2026 TSP, vehicles must earn a good rating in the moderate overlap front test, small overlap front, side, while earning an acceptable or good rating for the pedestrian front crash prevention test, as well as an acceptable or good rating for headlights.

For more information on the changes to the award criteria, visit www.IIHS.org.

About IIHS
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries and property damage from motor vehicle crashes through research and evaluation and through education of consumers, policymakers and safety professionals. Its TSP and TSP+ ratings are widely regarded as among the most rigorous and trusted safety assessments in the automotive industry.

Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai Motor America offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles, while supporting Hyundai Motor Company’s Progress for Humanity vision. Hyundai has significant operations in the U.S., including its North American headquarters in California, the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama assembly plant, the all-new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, several cutting-edge R&D facilities and more than 855 independent dealers. These operations are part of Hyundai Motor Group, which is investing $26 billion in the U.S. from 2025 to 2028. For more information, visit www.hyundainews.com.

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SOURCE Hyundai Motor America