Another 47 vehicles earned "Top Safety Pick" honors. Both lists are likely to grow as more vehicles are evaluated.
IIHS said it has not yet reviewed all models and may not test every variation but will update the rankings throughout 2018.
"Automakers have really come to grips with the fact that safety is an important component of consumer choice, and they are working hard to meet the criteria," outgoing IIHS president Adrian Lund said. "They want to be known as leaders of safety."
Lund said new vehicles are safer than ever.
Still, even as automakers make significant safety improvements to new vehicles, more people are dying on American roads. Car crash deaths spiked in the U.S. for a second consecutive year in 2016, hitting a nine-year high of 37,461 people in 2016, up 5.6 percent, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Lund said the improved economy, which has enabled more people to hit the road for jobs and leisure, is a key factor in the uptick. Distracted driving is also a likely factor to explain the increase.
One positive sign, Lund said, is that automakers are rapidly improving headlights amid growing awareness that vehicles aren't sufficiently illuminating the roadway to keep drivers and pedestrians safe.
To reflect the need for better headlights overall, IIHS is now requiring automakers to earn a "good" rating when it comes to their beams to receive the Top Safety Pick Plus designation.
"We are seeing a big change" in headlights, Lund said. "In previous years, it really was the designers who were determining the positioning of headlights. Now, because we're actually giving some objective ratings of how much light these headlamps put on the road, the engineers are getting more say."
Overall, Toyota led the industry with 10 vehicles on the Top Safety Pick+ or Top Safety Pick lists. Much-smaller Hyundai was second with nine models.
Subaru, which is on a red-hot sales streak, got all but one of its seven vehicles on the lists.
There's one key caveat: The "vast majority" of models only qualify for the list with optional equipment, IIHS said. Most basic models don't come with the features IIHS requires to make the list, including automatic emergency braking.
As usual, IIHS re-evaluates vehicle safety throughout the year and sometimes makes adjustments to its rankings to reflect midyear improvements and new entries.
Here's the full list:
IIHS Top Safety Pick+
Small cars
Kia Forte (sedan only)
Kia Soul
Subaru Impreza
Subaru WRX
Midsize cars
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Toyota Camry
Large luxury cars
BMW 5 series
Genesis G80
Genesis G90
Lincoln Continental
Mercedes-Benz E-Class (sedan only)
Midsize SUVs
Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
Midsize Luxury SUVs
Mercedes-Benz GLC
Top Safety Pick
Small cars
Chevrolet Volt
Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid
Hyundai Elantra
Hyundai Elantra GT
Mazda 3
Subaru Crosstrek
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius Prime
Midsize cars
Honda Accord
Hyundai Sonata
Kia Optima
Nissan Altima
Nissan Maxima
Midsize luxury cars
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Audi A3
Audi A4
BMW 3 series (sedan only)
Lexus ES
Lexus IS
Volvo S60
Volvo V60
Large cars
Kia Cadenza
Toyota Avalon
Small SUVs
Honda CR-V
Hyundai Tucson
Kia Sportage
Mazda CX-3
Mazda CX-5
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Midsize SUVs
Honda Pilot
Kia Sorento
Mazda CX-9
Toyota Highlander
Midsize luxury SUVs
Acura MDX
Acura RDX
Buick Envision
Lexus NX
Lexus RX
Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class
Volvo XC60
Minivans
Chrysler Pacifica
Honda Odyssey
Large pickup
Honda Ridgeline
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