Safety is a big concern for shoppers when considering a new vehicle. Every new car sold in America must meet standards mandated by Title 49 of the United States Code, Chapter 301, for motor vehicle safety, but not all vehicles are created equal. While airbags, seat belts and crumple zones keep occupants safe in a crash, technologies available in some new vehicles work to prevent the crash itself.

For a vehicle to be named either an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+, it must earn Good ratings (Good is the highest IIHS rating) in each of six crash tests: driver-side and passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraint & seats. The vehicle must also earn an Advanced or Superior rating for front crash prevention in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian tests, as well as a Good or Acceptable headlight rating.

For the 2020 model year, the IIHS adds an additional requirement for a vehicle to gain distinction as an IIHS Top Safety Pick+. To earn this top award, a vehicle must be available exclusively with Good or Acceptable headlights on all trim variants. This new requirement knocks several previously top-ranked vehicles off the Top Safety Pick+ list.

“The headlight ratings that have been part of our awards criteria in recent years have pushed automakers to pay more attention to this essential equipment,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “However, finding vehicles with the right headlights can be a challenge for consumers. We wanted to reward automakers that have removed this obstacle,” Harkey noted.

It’s important to point out that no trucks made this list. Though IIHS does test trucks, none achieved either Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ status.

Here, in alphabetical order, are the safest new vehicles in America for the 2020 model year — vehicles that achieve the elite IIHS rank of Top Safety Pick+ winner.