Few vehicles meet the safety requirements of the new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) updated moderate overlap front test.

Aimed at providing better protection for second-row occupants, the 2025 Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards encouraged automakers to make advanced seat belt technology and other safety innovations the norm in the back seat, an IIHS press release states.

IIHS’ updated test adds a second dummy behind the driver. Last year, an “acceptable” or “good” rating in the updated test was a requirement for the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ award. However, a “good” rating in the original test was still enough to earn the base award.

As a result, 48 models qualify so far for awards this year compared to 71 last year at this time. Of this year’s winners, 36 earned Top Safety Pick+, and 12 earned Top Safety Pick.

“We’re once again challenging automakers to make their new models even safer than those they were building a year ago,” IIHS President David Harkey said, in the release. “Every vehicle that earns a 2025 award offers a high level of safety in both the front seat and the second row.”

This year, vehicles must earn an “acceptable” rating in the updated test to qualify for Top Safety Pick, while a “good” rating is required for the “plus.” The original test has been phased out completely.

As before, to earn either award, vehicles must also earn “good” ratings in the small overlap front and updated side tests as well as an “acceptable” or “good” rating in the pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation, which gauges performance in both daytime and nighttime conditions. All trims must be equipped with “acceptable”- or “good”-rated headlights.

A variety of models, ranging from small cars to large pickups and from economy cars to luxury vehicles, occupy the winner’s circle, and most major players in the U.S. market are represented, according to IIHS.

SUVs, which make up a large percentage of new models for sale, account for the bulk of the awards. Eight small SUVs, nine midsize SUVs, eight midsize luxury SUVs, and three large SUVs round out most of the 36 total Top Safety Pick+ awards. Other SUV models account for eight of the 12 Top Safety Picks.

In contrast, no minicars, large cars, minivans, or small pickups are among the winners, and only two large pickups — the Rivian R1T and Toyota Tundra — qualified for either accolade. The same two models, along with one small pickup, were also the only pickups to earn “acceptable” or “good” ratings in the updated moderate overlap test last year.

“The new emphasis on back seat protection appears to have winnowed minivans and pickups from the winners’ ranks,” Harkey said, in the release. “That’s unfortunate, considering that minivans are marketed as family haulers and extended cab and crew cab pickups are often used for that purpose.”

IIHS updated the moderate overlap front test in 2022. To excel in the original test, automakers strengthened vehicle structures, improved air bags, and developed advanced seat belts capable of absorbing crash forces, IIHS said. However, many of those advancements were only applied in the front seat, and as a result, in newer vehicles, the risk of a fatal injury is higher for belted adults in the rear seat than in the front.

The updated test is intended to push manufacturers to address that gap, IIHS said. Like its predecessor, it simulates a head-on collision in which the test vehicle strikes a vehicle of equal size and weight at 40 mph with 40% of their front widths overlapping. The difference is that the new test includes an additional dummy representing a small woman or 12-year-old child positioned in the second row behind the driver and uses new metrics that focus on the injuries most frequently seen in rear-seat occupants.

Regardless of a vehicle’s performance in the updated test, the second row remains the safest position for children under 13, according to IIHS.

Two years after the update, around 60% of 2025 models tested earned “acceptable” or “good” ratings, heralding significant progress in back seat protection, IIHS said.

However, including all 2023, 2024, and 2025 models tested so far, small and midsize SUVs account for the bulk of the top performers, with no minivans and only a handful of cars and pickups earning “good” or “acceptable” scores.

“There’s still progress to be made but these results show that manufacturers are working hard to make their vehicles as safe for back seat passengers as they are for those up front,” Harkey said, in the release. “Consumers looking for a new vehicle offering the highest level of protection for their families should put these award winners at the top of their list.”

More details about how the updated moderate overlap front and other required tests are conducted can be found here. This resource also includes information about additional tests that aren’t yet included in the award criteria.

The full results of 2025 vehicles tested can be found here.

Images

Featured image: IIHS YouTube video screenshot