The 2026 Rivian R1S has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation for the third time. The all-electric seven-seat SUV is the only large SUV built by an American automaker to achieve the top-tier rating as of March 2026. IIHS tightened its testing criteria this year, raising the bar for rear-seat protection and crash avoidance performance.
Highlights
- The 2026 R1S is the only American-built large SUV to earn IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ this year
- Rivian’s flagship SUV has now received the top designation in 2023, 2025, and 2026
- The Rivian R1T pickup retains its TOP SAFETY PICK rating for 2026
- IIHS strengthened 2026 criteria with new rear-seat, pedestrian, and high-speed crash avoidance requirements
Tougher Standards for 2026
IIHS raised several requirements for the 2026 award season. Vehicles seeking either award now need a “good” rating in the moderate overlap front test, which emphasizes rear-seat occupant protection. Previously, only TOP SAFETY PICK+ required that threshold.
For TOP SAFETY PICK+, vehicles must also earn a “good” rating in pedestrian front crash prevention. Additionally, they must achieve an “acceptable” or “good” result in an updated vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. That evaluation runs at 31, 37, and 43 mph using passenger car, motorcycle, and semitrailer targets. Qualifying crash prevention systems must now come standard on all trims.
Large SUV Category Remains Thin
Despite the broader award pool growing to 63 vehicles — up from 48 at the same point last year — the large SUV segment remains sparse. Only the Rivian R1S and the Volvo EX90 earned TOP SAFETY PICK+ among large SUVs. The Audi Q7, Infiniti QX80, and Nissan Armada earned the base TOP SAFETY PICK in the same category.
IIHS President David Harkey noted that no minicars, minivans, or small pickups qualified for awards this year. Rear-seat performance in the moderate overlap test continues to challenge many models in those segments.
Rivian’s Safety Track Record
The R1S first earned TOP SAFETY PICK+ in 2023 and repeated the achievement in 2025. The 2026 designation marks a third recognition under progressively tougher criteria. Meanwhile, the R1T pickup carries forward its 2025 TOP SAFETY PICK rating into the new award year.
Across all categories, 45 vehicles earned TOP SAFETY PICK+ and 18 earned TOP SAFETY PICK. SUVs of various sizes accounted for 35 of the 45 top-tier winners.
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