VW Atlas Named IIHS Top Safety Pick... But Misses The Plus

Figure German SUVs are among the safest vehicles on the road? You'd be surprised, because only a handful have made the grade at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But now there's one more.

The Volkswagen Atlas is the latest to be recognized as a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS, joining the BMW X1, Audi Q5 and Q7, and Mercedes-Benz GLE on this year's list.

That leaves a lot more crossovers from German automakers that didn't make the cut, including the Mercedes GLA, GLC and GLS; the BMW X3, X4, X5, and X6; the Audi Q3 (which last made the list in 2015); and the Volkswagen Tiguan and Touareg (both of which last featured in 2013). The IIHS doesn't typically evaluate vehicles as exotic as Porsches.

The Institute points out that the rating only applies to models with the optional front crash prevention system specified. But it still missed out on the crême-de-la-crême Plus rating as its headlights didn't perform well enough.

The only vehicles in its class of midsize SUVs (as the IIHS categorizes them) to earn the TSP+ rating are the Honda Pilot, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-9, and Toyota Highlander. The GMC Acadia, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, Kia Sorento, and Nissan Murano and Pathfinder join the Atlas with the regular TSP rating.