The redesigned Nissan Kicks first picked up a Poor score in the updated moderate overlap front test that focuses on second row protection in 2025. After Nissan revised the rear seat belts on Kicks models built after June 2026, the crossover earned a Good rating and now carries the Top Safety Pick award.
The Audi Q3, Toyota RAV4 and Chevrolet Trailblazer went through the same updated test, and none of them pulled it off. All three missed the award, and the reason comes down to how well their rear seats protect a passenger in a frontal crash.
After the redesigned 2025 Nissan Kicks earned a Poor rating in the updated moderate overlap front test, Nissan then made additional rear seat and seat belt load limiter changes on Kicks units built after June 2026. Those later production vehicles now carry a Good rating in the same test, and the current Top Safety Pick designation applies specifically to 2026 and 2027 models built from that point forward.
That is a narrow window as two Kicks crossovers with the same badge and model year can carry different crash test outcomes depending on when the factory built them. Checking a VIN or build date is the only way to know which belt hardware is actually in the car.
2026 and 2027 Nissan Kicks models built after June 2026 were the only vehicles in this test group to walk away with the IIHS award, while the Q3, Trailblazer and RAV4 all came up short.
The redesigned 2026 Audi Q3 rated Poor in the updated moderate overlap front test, the same failing grade that kept the pre-fix Kicks off the podium.
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