The all-new Mazda CX-5 has taken the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest honour, the TOP SAFETY PICK+, in its US-specification form. Mazda says it is the third year running, starting in 2024, that the company has launched a model straight into the top tier of IIHS recognition. The award adds to five-star results the CX-5 has already collected in Europe and Australasia.
Mazda has confirmed that the US-market version of its all-new CX-5 has earned the TOP SAFETY PICK+, the highest rating handed out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). According to the manufacturer, this marks the third consecutive year since 2024 that a new Mazda has debuted as the leader in the IIHS’s top category.
The company also states that it has collected more 2026 TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards than any other brand, as of July 2026.
What the CX-5 was tested on
The IIHS splits its assessment into crash avoidance and crashworthiness, and Mazda says the CX-5 scored top ratings in both. The maker points to strong results in front crash prevention — covering both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios — as well as occupant protection in front, side and other collision tests. The all-new CX-5 was developed under a concept Mazda calls “New Generation Emotional Daily Comfort,” with the brand saying safety was treated as a core part of that everyday-usability goal.
A strong year across the range
The award is not limited to the CX-5. In the 2026 IIHS evaluations, nine Mazda models sold in the United States earned TOP SAFETY PICK+ status, the new CX-5 among them. Mazda adds that it has now passed a milestone of 100 cumulative IIHS Top Safety awards since 2008, counting both the TOP SAFETY PICK+ and the slightly lower TOP SAFETY PICK honours.
The CX-5 has also picked up the maximum five-star ratings from Euro NCAP in Europe and ANCAP in Australia and New Zealand, meaning the model now holds top marks from three of the major independent crash-test bodies.
What it means for buyers
Safety ratings carry real weight in the compact-SUV class, where the CX-5 competes against high-volume rivals such as the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Nissan X-Trail. A clean sweep of top scores from IIHS, Euro NCAP and ANCAP gives family buyers a straightforward reassurance, and it reflects Mazda’s stated aim of making advanced safety systems standard equipment rather than optional extras.
Mazda frames the result within a longer-term target: the company says it is working towards zero fatalities in new Mazda vehicles by 2040, in areas where vehicle technology can make a meaningful difference.
The all-new CX-5 is on sale in the United States, with the safety ratings confirmed by the IIHS in its 2026 evaluations.
Source: newsroom.mazda.com