New car safety rankings have been announced and one luxury brand leads the way in every single category
Published on Apr 04, 2026 at 8:23 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Apr 01, 2026 at 1:46 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
New car safety rankings are out, and one luxury brand has come out on top.
It didn’t just edge ahead; it cleared the field.
Beating BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, and the rest across every major category.
But perhaps even more impressive was the one car doing most of the heavy lifting.
Enter our competition to win a stunning 2006 Ford GT or $400,000 cash!
The luxury brand beating out other automakers left and right
Audi has taken the lead in the latest 2026 IIHS safety rankings, picking up six Top Safety Pick+ awards – the highest rating handed out.
That alone would be impressive, but it lands differently this year because the rules got tougher.
Cars now need stronger performance in crash tests, better protection for rear passengers, and more advanced crash prevention systems fitted as standard.
Despite that, Audi still filled out the top tier.
The winners include the A5, Q5, Q5 Sportback, A6 Sportback e-tron, Q6 e-tron, and Q6 Sportback e-tron.
However, one of those names carries more weight than the rest.
The Q5 isn’t just another entry on the list; it’s Audi’s best-selling model.
It’s the car most people actually buy, not just admire.
So this isn’t just a safety win across a lineup, it’s a safety win where it counts most
The model doing the biggest numbers is also one of the safest in its class.
That’s where the gap to rivals starts to increase even more.
BMW only managed two top-tier awards, while Mercedes-Benz didn’t land a single Top Safety Pick+ so far.
Others like Lexus and Infiniti picked up one each, but none matched Audi’s spread.
Audi’s safest car could matter more than the rankings
The Q5 sits right in the middle of one of the most competitive parts of the market.
It goes head-to-head with cars like the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC, which means buyers are often choosing between them on small differences rather than big ones.
That’s where something like a Top Safety Pick+ badge can start to tip things.
You won’t notice it on a test drive, but for a lot of people, it carries weight when it comes to everyday use.
At the same time, Audi isn’t exactly dominating elsewhere.
The luxury brand has been dealing with back-to-back sales declines in the US, and it still lags well behind BMW in total deliveries.
On top of that, imported vehicle tariffs and the lack of a US manufacturing base make things harder again.
So while the rankings give Audi a clear win on paper, the Q5 is where that advantage actually has a chance to translate into real-world decisions.
And if that shift is going to happen, it won’t come from the full lineup.
It’ll come from the one car most people are already looking at.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
With roles at TEXT Journal, Bowen Street Press, Onya Magazine, and Swine Magazine on her CV, Molly joined Supercar Blondie in June 2025 as a Junior Content Writer. Having experience across copyediting, proofreading, reference checking, and production, she brings accuracy, clarity, and audience focus to her stories spanning automotive, tech, and lifestyle news.
