- Poor headlight ratings had kept the two models from reaching their full potential, but still held back a third all-new GM product this year.
- IIHS updated its safety testing program this year to include requirements ensuring second-row occupants have the same level of protection afforded by advanced seat belts in the front row.
- Not every vehicle that is new or significantly updated for 2025 has been tested for the full suite of ratings and may yet qualify.
For the first time in many years, the GMC Acadia and the Buick Enclave qualified for the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick Plus awards, respectively, in the latest testing round for vehicle safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The 2025 Buick Enclave midsize SUV attained the Top Safety Pick Plus award, the highest rating in the IIHS top safety study. The 2025 GMC Acadia attained Top Safety Pick this year but fell short of Plus status for scoring only “acceptable” in a crash test updated earlier this year.
David Aylor, vice president of active safety at IIHS, said both General Motors vehicles produced for the 2025 model year achieved higher rankings after meeting more stringent crash-safety and headlight requirements.
Both vehicles missed out on IIHS's initial list of award winners back in March due to subpar headlight ratings, but changes implemented midyear meant the newest Enclaves and Acadias come standard with headlights that pass muster, according to the institute. Not since 2013 has the Enclave reached Top Safety Pick status, while the Acadia last obtained the distinction in 2017.
IIHS updated its safety testing program this year to include requirements ensuring second-row occupants have the same level of protection afforded by advanced seat belts in the front row. This is determined on a test track where impact on 40% of the front end of a vehicle and damage to both the driver and a rear occupant behind the driver’s seat is measured.Previously, acceptable ratings in this test sufficiently met requirements, but the updated test requires a “good” rating to pass the category.
GM sold 11,067 Buick Enclaves in the first quarter of 2025 and 13,257 GMC Acadias.
The all-electric 2025 Cadillac Lyriq midsize luxury SUV, meanwhile, failed to reach top safety standards after flunking the headlight test. While GM repositioned headlights in the Acadia and Enclave to protect the vision of oncoming drivers, the Lyriq’s headlights remain cocked at an unsafe angle, according to Aylor, earning the vehicle a “poor” rating.
“The Lyriq would have qualified except its headlight produced excessive glare,” he said.
IIHS uses sensors that measure vision distance and glare for vehicles in headlights' sight when grading performance on its Virginia test track.
Qualifications for either award require brands meet “good” ratings in small overlap front and side tests, rank “acceptable” or “good” for pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation as well as “acceptable” or “good” ratings for headlights.
Also newly tested in this year’s safety rating qualifications were the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron, Kia K4, Nissan Kicks, Nissan Rogue, Nissan Sentra and Toyota Tacoma crew cab.
One reason why IIHS staggers vehicle announcements for its safety list is to account for the time frame when vehicles undergo product updates and releases as well as when the institute can obtain the vehicles for testing.
In addition to substandard performance, IIHS noted that missing data could also contribute to a failing grade, Aylor added. Not every vehicle that is new or significantly updated for 2025 has been tested for the full suite of ratings and may yet qualify.
Only one vehicle in the latest batch of tested vehicles, the luxury SUV 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron, secured “good” ratings in all categories.
Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@freepress.com.
