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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested the Audi Q3, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Nissan Kicks and Toyota RAV4 under its updated moderate overlap front crash test. The Nissan Kicks was the only model to receive a Good rating in that test after rear seat-belt changes; the other three received Poor, Acceptable or Marginal results.
The test result affected award eligibility: the Kicks earned a 2026 Top Safety Pick, while none of the other tested crossovers qualified. The RAV4’s result also differed between hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released updated crash-test results for four crossovers, and the Nissan Kicks was the only one to earn a Good rating in the institute’s revised moderate overlap front test. The score helped the Kicks qualify for a 2026 Top Safety Pick, while the Audi Q3, Chevrolet Trailblazer and Toyota RAV4 did not receive an award in the reported results.
The IIHS’s moderate overlap front test simulates a vehicle striking a barrier at 40 mph, with only part of the vehicle’s front end making contact. The institute revised the test in 2022 to place greater emphasis on rear-seat occupant protection. A Good rating in this test is required for a Top Safety Pick award, according to the report.
The Kicks initially received a Poor rating under the updated test. Nissan changed the rear seat belts on vehicles built after June 2026, and the institute’s retest gave the crossover a Good score. The result applies to the specified later-built vehicles, including 2026 and 2027 models, rather than establishing that every Kicks from the model year has the same test performance.
The redesigned 2026 Audi Q3 received a Poor moderate overlap rating, despite Good results in its other reported categories; the rating also applies to 2027 models. The 2026 Toyota RAV4 earned Acceptable with its standard hybrid powertrain and Marginal as a plug-in hybrid. The Trailblazer also received Poor in the test and had low ratings in other areas, including headlights and front crash-prevention technology.
One Test Shapes Award Eligibility
The results show how a single safety-test category can affect a vehicle’s award status. Under the IIHS criteria described in the report, the moderate overlap test’s Good rating is a requirement for Top Safety Pick recognition. That left the Q3 and RAV4 short despite their stronger scores in other areas, while the Trailblazer’s additional low ratings also limited its overall assessment.
For shoppers comparing similar crossovers, the ratings offer more detail than a broad claim that a vehicle is safe or unsafe. They identify performance in a particular crash scenario, including the institute’s focus on people in the rear seat. The Kicks retest also illustrates that test results can change after manufacturers modify a vehicle; buyers should check the rating and the build date relevant to the specific vehicle they are considering.
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Why IIHS Revised the Test
The IIHS is an insurance-industry-backed nonprofit that conducts its own vehicle safety evaluations. Its testing program is separate from the federal government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the source report describes IIHS as able to update its tests without the legislative process required for changes to federal standards.
The institute revised the moderate overlap front test in 2022 to better account for rear occupants. The Kicks’ original Poor result and its later Good result followed changes to rear seat belts, according to the report. The new results therefore reflect both a changed testing focus and a manufacturer response to performance identified in testing.
“A Good rating in the moderate overlap front test is required for a Top Safety Pick award.”
— The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, as described in The Drive report
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Ratings Vary by Build and Powertrain
The reported results do not establish how every individual vehicle would perform outside the IIHS’s stated test conditions. For the Kicks, the source ties the improved score to vehicles with revised rear seat belts built after June 2026; it does not say that earlier-built vehicles received the same retest result.
The RAV4 results differ by powertrain, with the hybrid rated Acceptable and the plug-in hybrid rated Marginal. The source material does not provide the detailed crash measurements or explain the precise factors behind that difference. It also does not report later design changes or retests for the Q3, Trailblazer or RAV4.
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Watch for Updated Model Results
The immediate next point for buyers is to check the IIHS rating for the exact model year, powertrain and build period they are considering, particularly for the Kicks and the two RAV4 versions. The reported results do not say whether Audi, Chevrolet or Toyota will revise their vehicles or submit updated versions for testing.
Further IIHS ratings or retests could show whether those manufacturers address the weak results in the moderate overlap test or other categories. Until such information is published, the current report supports only the ratings and vehicle configurations described above.
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Key Questions
Which crossover earned a Good rating in the updated test?
The Nissan Kicks was the only one of the four crossovers to earn Good in the IIHS moderate overlap front test, after Nissan changed rear seat belts on vehicles built after June 2026.
What happened to the Audi Q3 and Chevrolet Trailblazer?
The redesigned 2026 Audi Q3 and the Chevrolet Trailblazer each received a Poor rating in the moderate overlap front test. The Q3 had Good results in its other reported categories, while the Trailblazer also scored low in areas including headlights and front crash-prevention technology.
Did both Toyota RAV4 versions get the same rating?
No. The standard-hybrid RAV4 received Acceptable in the moderate overlap test, while the plug-in hybrid received Marginal.
Why did the Kicks receive a Top Safety Pick award?
The Kicks earned a Good rating in the updated moderate overlap front test after the seat-belt changes. The report says that a Good score in this category is required for Top Safety Pick eligibility. The Kicks received a 2026 Top Safety Pick, one level below Top Safety Pick+.
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