Two Lexus SUVs earn highest accolade

The 2022 Lexus NX and new NX Plug-in Hybrid, both midsize luxury SUVs, earn Top Safety Pick+ awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

To qualify for either of the Institute’s two awards in 2022, vehicles must earn good ratings in six IIHS crashworthiness evaluations, including the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests. They must also be available with a front crash prevention system that earns advanced or superior ratings in both the vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations.

For the lower-tier Top Safety Pick award, at least one good or acceptable headlight system must be available. For the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+, good or acceptable headlights must be standard across all trims.

Both SUVs meet all the criteria for the “plus.” Each comes with a standard front crash prevention system that earns superior ratings in the Institute’s vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian tests, avoiding collisions in all trials with bonus credit for a timely forward collision warning tone. Three headlight systems are available for the NX and two for the NX Plug-in Hybrid, all of which earn good ratings.