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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested several crossovers under its updated moderate-overlap front crash test. The Nissan Kicks earned a Good rating after changes to rear seat belts, while the Audi Q3 and Chevrolet Trailblazer received Poor ratings; the Toyota RAV4 was rated Acceptable in hybrid form and Marginal as a plug-in hybrid. Only the Kicks received an IIHS Top Safety Pick award in this group.
The Nissan Kicks was the only crossover in a recent group tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to earn an award, after revised rear seat belts helped it achieve a Good rating in the institute’s updated moderate-overlap front crash test. The Audi Q3 and Chevrolet Trailblazer received Poor ratings in that test, while the Toyota RAV4 earned Acceptable in standard hybrid form and Marginal as a plug-in hybrid.
The updated test was the deciding factor in the ratings. IIHS requires a Good result in the moderate-overlap front test for a vehicle to qualify for a Top Safety Pick award. The Kicks earned a 2026 Top Safety Pick, one tier below the institute’s Top Safety Pick+ designation. The other crossovers in this group did not receive an award.
The Kicks had previously received a Poor rating in the test. According to the report, Nissan revised the rear seat belts on vehicles built after June 2026, including 2026 and 2027 models. IIHS retested the updated vehicle and awarded it a Good rating. The report does not provide crash-test measurements or a detailed account of the specific belt changes.
The redesigned 2026 Audi Q3 received Poor in the moderate-overlap test, as did the Chevrolet Trailblazer. The Q3 earned Good ratings in its other categories, but the Poor result kept it from an award. The Trailblazer also had low ratings in several other areas, including headlights and front-crash prevention. The redesigned RAV4 performed differently depending on powertrain: the standard hybrid was rated Acceptable in the test, and the plug-in hybrid was rated Marginal.
One Test Decided These Awards
The results show how a single safety-test category can affect a vehicle’s overall recognition. Even when a model performs well in other assessments, the moderate-overlap front result is a requirement for IIHS Top Safety Pick awards. That makes the test relevant to shoppers comparing safety ratings, particularly when a vehicle is newly redesigned or offered with different powertrains.
The Kicks result also illustrates that ratings can change after manufacturers make adjustments. Its improved score followed Nissan’s rear seat-belt changes, according to the report. For the Q3, RAV4 and Trailblazer, the reported results identify areas that could affect award eligibility, but they do not establish whether manufacturers will make changes or when any revised vehicles might be retested.
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Why IIHS Changed the Test
IIHS is a nonprofit supported by the insurance industry and conducts safety evaluations separate from federal crash testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The source report says IIHS can revise its tests without changes to federal law, and that updated criteria can prompt new engineering work by automakers.
The institute changed its moderate-overlap front test in 2022 to better assess the safety of people in the rear seats. In this test, a vehicle travels at 40 mph and strikes a barrier with only part of its front end. The updated assessment has proved challenging for vehicles, and the Kicks’ earlier Poor rating followed by a Good rating after seat-belt revisions provides one example of how manufacturers can respond to results.
“The IIHS changed the parameters of this test in 2022 to better account for rear-occupant safety.”
— The Drive report
Details on Future Revisions
The report does not say whether Audi, Toyota or Chevrolet plan to revise the tested models in response to these ratings. It also does not give dates for any potential engineering updates or follow-up IIHS tests. The available information identifies the ratings and, for the Kicks, the reported seat-belt change, but does not provide detailed crash data or explain the precise performance differences between the RAV4 hybrid and plug-in hybrid.
Buyers should also check the model year and production details attached to a rating. The Kicks result applies to vehicles with the reported rear seat-belt changes, while the Q3 rating is stated to apply to both 2026 and 2027 models. The source does not provide a full vehicle-by-vehicle production-date guide for every result.
Watch for Retests and Model Updates
The next developments to watch are whether Audi, Toyota or Chevrolet announce safety-related revisions and whether IIHS tests updated versions. The source report does not give a timetable for further testing. Meanwhile, shoppers can consult IIHS ratings for the specific model and powertrain they are considering, paying attention to the distinction between the RAV4 hybrid and plug-in hybrid results and to the Kicks’ production details.
Key Questions
Which crossover earned a Good rating in the updated test?
The Nissan Kicks earned a Good rating in the IIHS moderate-overlap front crash test after reported rear seat-belt changes. It was the only model in this group to receive an IIHS award.
What ratings did the Toyota RAV4 receive?
The standard-hybrid RAV4 was rated Acceptable in the moderate-overlap front test. The plug-in hybrid received a Marginal rating.
Why did the Audi Q3 miss an IIHS award?
The redesigned 2026 Audi Q3 received a Poor rating in the moderate-overlap front test. Although it earned Good ratings in its other categories, a Good result in this test is required for an IIHS Top Safety Pick award.
What does the updated moderate-overlap test measure?
The test assesses a vehicle’s performance in a partial-front crash at 40 mph. IIHS revised it in 2022 to better account for safety in the rear seats.
Did the report say whether other automakers will change their vehicles?
No. The report does not confirm planned revisions by Audi, Toyota or Chevrolet, or provide a schedule for additional IIHS testing.
Source: rss
