2020 Hyundai Palisade earns IIHS TSP+ award, doing what the Telluride couldn’t

The Hyundai Palisade has officially earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, which is something its Kia Telluride platform mate wasn’t able to accomplish. 

It wasn’t the crashing portion of the test that pushed the Hyundai over edge, though. No, the IIHS found the optional LED headlights on the Palisade were good enough to warrant the TSP+ rating. The headlights on the Telluride received “Poor” (halogen lights) and “Acceptable” (LED lights) ratings, meaning it wasn’t eligible to be a TSP+. Even the base halogen lights on Palisade received a “Moderate” rating, beating the base halogens on the Telluride.

Just like the Telluride, Hyundai’s Palisade received “Good” ratings in all the crashworthiness tests. It also received a “superior” rating for its standard front crash avoidance system. The IIHS says its test car successfully avoided collisions at both 12 mph and 25 mph. If you’re looking for weaknesses in the Palisade’s scorecard you’ll be hard-pressed to find them. One of the only categories without a “Good” rating is the LATCH ease of use, where the IIHS gave Hyundai an “Acceptable” score. The only other vehicle in the Palisade’s class that received a TSP+ award for its current model is the Subaru Ascent.

If you want to read more about what we think of Hyundai’s new three-row crossover, you can find our First Drive story here, and our detailed Buying Guide here.