Lexus NX Honored With Prestigious Safety Award

Highest Honor

Aside from producing vehicles that are widely recognized as being some of the most reliable on the road, Lexus has also racked up its fair share of safety-related accolades over the years, too. That includes the Lexus NX, which was previously granted Top Safety Pick status from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), However, the NX has now received an even more prestigious honor from that same organization after making the cut for as one of few Top Safety Pick+ winners on the market. 

Criteria

To qualify for a Top Safety Pick+ award, vehicles must earn "good" ratings in both front and side-impact crash testing, have ratings of "acceptable" or good in secondary front crash testing, along with acceptable or good ratings in terms of headlight performance, forward collision avoidance testing, and pedestrian detection. 

Need for Improvement

Recently, IIHS has toughed its standards for Top Safety Pick+ status, revamping its overlap front crash test by adding a second crash dummy in the vehicle behind the driver, whereas before, that test only used a dummy in the driver's seat. The reasoning behind that decision stems from the fact that rear seat safety hasn't quite progressed at the same rate as front seat safety in recent years, highlighting the need for improvement in that area. 

Acceptable Performance

In that regard, the 2024 Lexus NX didn't perform the best in the updated moderate overlap crash test, earning a score of acceptable there. This was due to the fact that the back seat dummy's seat belt moved from its pelvis area to the abdomen, which can increase the risk of injury. 

Otherwise Perfect

However, the NX did earn a rating of good in terms of its pedestrian avoidance performance, and its trio of headlight options was also ranked good. The NX wound up receiving the highest possible score in small overlap front, the original moderate overlap front, and side crash testing, plus good scores for its seat belt reminders and the ease of use regarding those components, too, which is ultimately what earned it Top Safety Pick+ status. 

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