Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: New Honda SUV is a Top Safety Pick

ARLINGTON, Virginia, Sept. 24 -- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued the following news release:

The Honda Passport, a new midsize SUV, qualifies for a 2019 Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The award applies to vehicles built after June 2019.

The 2019 Passport, which is derived from the larger Honda Pilot, earns good ratings in five crashworthiness evaluations and an acceptable rating in the passenger-side small overlap front crash test.

The SUV comes standard with a superior-rated front crash prevention system. In IIHS track tests, the system avoided a collision in the 12 mph test and reduced its impact speed by an average of 12 mph in the 25 mph test. It has a forward collision warning component that meets the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's criteria.

The Passport's two available headlight systems both earn acceptable ratings for models built after June 2019. Both rate poor for Passports built earlier, meaning earlier models don't qualify for Top Safety Pick. High-beam assist, a system that automatically switches between high beams and low beams, depending on the presence of other vehicles, is a standard feature with all headlights.

To qualify for a 2019 Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as a good or acceptable rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test. It also needs an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention and a good or acceptable headlight rating.

The Passport joins seven other 2019 models from Honda in the winner's circle. Six earn Top Safety Pick awards, and one -- the 2019 Insight -- earns the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ award.