New IIHS Small SUV Ratings: Nissan Kicks Earns Top Safety Pick, Backseat Results Split the Field
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released a new round of crash test ratings, and the 2026-27 Nissan Kicks earns a 2026 Top Safety Pick award thanks to improved backseat safety. IIHS also posted ratings for five other models that do not qualify for an award. If you are shopping for a small SUV anywhere from Naperville to Wheaton, these results are worth a look before you sign.
What IIHS found
- Nissan Kicks: Redesigned for the 2025 model year, the Kicks first earned a poor rating in the moderate overlap front test, which emphasizes protection for second-row passengers. Nissan changed the rear seat belts in June 2026, and only vehicles built after June 2026 earn a good rating in that test and qualify for Top Safety Pick.
- Audi Q3 and Chevrolet Trailblazer: The 2026-27 Audi Q3 and the 2026 Chevrolet Trailblazer both earn good ratings in the small overlap front and side tests but a poor rating in the moderate overlap front test.
- Toyota RAV4: The 2026 RAV4 earns an acceptable rating in the moderate overlap front test, and the 2026 RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid earns a marginal rating in that test. Both earn good ratings for headlights and for vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian front crash prevention.
- Volkswagen Jetta: The 2027 Jetta, a midsize car, earns good ratings in both frontal crash tests, an acceptable side rating and a marginal headlight rating.
To qualify for an IIHS award this year, a vehicle needs good ratings in the moderate overlap front, small overlap front and side crash tests, plus acceptable or good headlights across all trim levels. Top Safety Pick also requires an acceptable or good rating in the pedestrian front crash prevention test, and the qualifying front crash prevention systems must be standard.
What this means for you
Here’s our take: if kids or other passengers ride in your back seat, the moderate overlap test is the one to check, because it is the test that emphasizes second-row protection. A few practical steps:
- Check the build date. For the Kicks, the award applies only to vehicles built after June 2026. The build date is usually printed on a label in the driver’s door jamb, so look before you buy.
- Read the whole table. IIHS also lists seat belt reminder and LATCH ease-of-use ratings. They are not part of the award criteria, but IIHS says shoppers may want to factor them in.
- Don’t ignore the small stuff. Crash ratings are about protecting people. The everyday dings from parking lots and Chicagoland weather are a different problem. A dent where the paint is still intact is often a candidate for paintless dent repair, which reshapes the metal without sanding or repainting. Scrapes and cracked paint usually need dent and scratch repair instead. An inspection decides which fits.
- Check your policy. How a repair is handled depends on your own policy, so talk with your insurer.
Our team at EZ Tech Paintless Dent Removal & Collision repairs everything from parking-lot dings to collision damage across Chicagoland, and we’re happy to show you what we find and walk you through your options. This article is general information, not legal or insurance advice.
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “Nissan Kicks joins ranks of IIHS award winners” (October 22, 2026). Accessed October 22, 2026.
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