What is the world's safest vehicle?

There's no single safest car in the world, because no test program rates every vehicle. For Canadian shoppers, the nearest yardstick is the IIHS Top Safety Pick+, and IIHS added the Tesla Model Y and the 2027 Kia Telluride (built after June 2026) on Sept. 3, 2026.

Does Canada have its own crash-test ratings?

Transport Canada's testing works differently. It tests selected vehicles each year for compliance with the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS), and it says a pass speaks only to the test performed. For model-by-model crash scores, this guide uses IIHS and NHTSA results instead.

Do safer cars cost less to insure?

Not always. The Insurance Bureau of Canada's How Cars Measure Up 2026 covers 1998 to 2026 models and compares collision, comprehensive and theft claims by make and model. Get a quote before you buy, and see how car insurance differs from province to province .

Safest Cars in Canada for 2026: Crash-Test Ratings and Safety Features

Q: What are the safest cars in Canada for 2026?

Our six picks are the Kia K4 sedan, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Kona, Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-90 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. All won a 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick+.

AutoScout24

2026-11-02 · 10 min read

Safest Cars in Canada for 2026: Crash-Test Ratings and Safety Features

The safest cars in Canada for 2026 include the Kia K4 sedan, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Kona, Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-90 and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave each its 2026 Top Safety Pick+ award. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rates five of the six at five stars overall. Here's how we read the crash test ratings and what to check on the Canadian version.

Key Takeaways

IIHS named 45 Top Safety Pick+ and 18 Top Safety Pick winners on March 24, 2026, then added more models through Oct. 22, 2026.
A 2026 IIHS award needs good small overlap, updated moderate overlap and side ratings, acceptable or good headlights on every trim and standard front crash prevention rated at least acceptable in the pedestrian test.
NHTSA rates frontal, side and rollover crashes, and five stars overall means injury risk much less than average.
Transport Canada counted 2,050 road deaths in 2024, up 2.5 per cent from 2023.
No minicars, minivans or small pickups earned a 2026 IIHS award at the March launch.

How We Selected: IIHS Awards, NHTSA Stars and Canadian Checks

Every pick had to clear three bars: a 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick+, a 2026 NHTSA overall score of four stars or better and a 2026 fuel consumption rating from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).

What a 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Requires for Passenger and Pedestrian Protection

IIHS pushed harder on crash avoidance with its 2026 award criteria. The updated moderate overlap test, which focuses on rear-seat passengers, now needs a good rating for both awards.

The plus adds a vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test at about 50, 60 and 70 km/h (31, 37 and 43 mph) with passenger car, motorcycle and semitrailer targets, plus good standard pedestrian crash prevention.

How National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 5-Star Ratings Work

NHTSA runs frontal, side and rollover tests because those crash types account for most crashes on U.S. roads. Its Overall Vehicle Score blends all three.

One catch matters when you compare a car with an SUV: NHTSA says its frontal crash ratings only compare with vehicles in the same class and within about 113 kg (250 lb), and so does the overall score, which includes the frontal result. Side and rollover results compare across all classes.

Top Choices: The Safest Vehicles for 2026 by Category

Other 2026 Top Safety Pick+ winners include the Mazda3, Hyundai Tucson, Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Outback, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Prius and Hyundai Ioniq 9, plus the luxury Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Genesis GV70. The Honda Accord, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Explorer, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volvo XC90 took Top Safety Pick.

Safe Small Car and Midsize Sedan: Kia K4 Sedan and Toyota Camry

The Kia K4 sedan is the small car pick; the hatchback didn't qualify. NHTSA rates the 2026 K4 sedan at five stars overall, with four stars in the frontal crash test.

Toyota Canada sells the 2026 Camry, our midsize sedan pick, as a hybrid. NHTSA gives the 2026 Camry Hybrid five stars in every category it reports: overall, frontal, side and rollover. That's a clean sweep. Toyota lists Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, with the Pre-Collision System and Lane Tracing Assist, for the 2026 Camry Hybrid.

Read our 2026 Toyota Camry review.

Safest SUVs in the Small Class: Hyundai Kona and Subaru Forester

The Hyundai Kona earned its award in the IIHS small SUV class, though NHTSA stops at four stars overall for the 2026 Kona.

The Subaru Forester earns five stars overall from NHTSA, with five-star frontal and side scores and four for rollover. NRCan lists every 2026 Forester with all-wheel drive, and the Forester Hybrid is rated at 6.9 L/100 km combined.

See our 2026 Hyundai Kona review.

Family SUV and Electric SUV: Mazda CX-90 and Hyundai Ioniq 5

Mazda earned Top Safety Pick+ for the CX-90 and CX-90 PHEV. NHTSA rates the 2026 CX-90 mild hybrid with all-wheel drive at five stars overall.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5, our electric pick, scores five stars overall from NHTSA whichever drivetrain you choose, rear-wheel or all-wheel.

Read our 2026 Mazda CX-90 review.

Price and Efficiency Comparison: NRCan Ratings for the Top Picks

NRCan's 2026 ratings (combined, Oct. 6, 2026 data) line up like this:

Model (2026)	IIHS 2026 award	NHTSA overall	NRCan combined rating
Kia K4 sedan (2.0 L)	Top Safety Pick+	5 stars	7.2 L/100 km
Toyota Camry (FWD hybrid)	Top Safety Pick+	5 stars	5.0 L/100 km
Hyundai Kona (2.0 L FWD)	Top Safety Pick+	4 stars	7.6 L/100 km
Subaru Forester (AWD)	Top Safety Pick+	5 stars	8.3 L/100 km
Mazda CX-90 (3.3 L AWD)	Top Safety Pick+	5 stars	9.4 L/100 km
Hyundai Ioniq 5 (Long Range RWD)	Top Safety Pick+	5 stars	16.9 kWh/100 km, 504 km range

How to Check Canadian Pricing

Prices change every model year, so we don't print them. Start with the maker's Canadian build-and-price tool. Then filter new listings by trim on AutoTrader.ca.

Shop New 2026 Top Safety Pick+ Models

Filter by make, model year and trim to see local asking prices.

Browse New Vehicles

Strengths and Trade-Offs: Where the Crash-Test Ratings Disagree

The two programs don't always agree.

Four Stars From NHTSA, Top Marks From IIHS

The Kona is the clearest case. IIHS gave it a 2026 Top Safety Pick+, while NHTSA scores it four stars overall, with four stars for frontal crash and rollover and five for side impact. The K4, CX-90 and Ioniq 5 also take four frontal stars despite five overall.

A safety rating is a starting point, not a verdict.

Build Dates, Trims and the U.S. Testing Gap

Some awards depend on the build date. IIHS limits the Kia Sportage award to models built after May 2025 and the Hyundai Palisade award to models built after November 2025, and it ties each award to the model years it lists. Toyota Canada's Camry page already leads with the 2027 model, and Hyundai Canada shows the 2027 Kona.

Both are American programs, so check the Canadian trim. Hyundai Canada calls forward collision-avoidance assist standard on the 2026 Kona, but Subaru Canada saves Forester blind spot detection for the Touring trim and up, and Mazda Canada doesn't list blind spot monitoring on the base 2026 CX-90 GS mild hybrid.

Compare Safety Ratings Side by Side

Line up two models before you commit.

Compare Vehicles

Who Each Option Suits

The right pick depends on how you drive.

Commuters, New Drivers and Families

Commuters: the Camry, rated at 5.0 L/100 km combined
New drivers: the small K4 or Kona
Snow-belt drivers: the Forester, with all-wheel drive on every 2026 version
Large families: the CX-90, NRCan's only standard-size SUV here
EV shoppers: the Ioniq 5, rated at 504 km of range (Long Range RWD)

Buying for teens? See these car features to look for if you have new drivers at home, or our list of the cheapest cars with the best safety ratings.

How to Choose: Safety Features That Matter on Canadian Roads

Crash-test scores measure the car; your habits and tires decide the rest. In 2024, Transport Canada found 27.3 per cent of drivers killed weren't wearing seat belts.

Standard Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking and Its Limits

Automatic emergency braking (AEB) applies the brakes to help avoid a collision ahead or reduce its severity, but only in specific situations. Transport Canada says driver assistance technologies don't always work in bad weather or poor visibility. Its bottom line: "They can't replace you."

Before you buy, run through this list:

Confirm that IIHS crash tests rated it good in the updated moderate overlap test.
Check that headlight ratings are acceptable or good on the trim you want.
Ask whether blind spot intervention, which can brake or steer, is standard.
Read the owner's manual to learn when each system switches on.

Here's how automatic emergency braking works and when it won't.

Winter Tires, Recalls and the VIN Check

A safe car still needs the right rubber. Transport Canada says all-season and summer tires begin to lose traction below 7°C, and it recommends winter tires in sets of four with the mountain snowflake symbol. Quebec requires winter tires from Dec. 1 to March 15 on all motor vehicles registered there.

Here's why you still need winter tires with AWD.

Transport Canada says you can check recalls by VIN on your manufacturer's website, and its recall guidance points to a federal recall database. Its recall data, with recalls through Oct. 22, 2026, lists at least one 2026 recall for the Camry, Kona, Forester and Ioniq 5, plus a rear-centre seat belt buckle recall on certain K4 hatchbacks, and none for the K4 sedan or the CX-90.

If yours is called back, here's what to do if your vehicle is recalled.