Each of these family haulers comes with a deep set of standard driver aids, so the separation comes down to the latest Insurance Institute for Highway Safety results and how current each design is. The Palisade has the advantage of a fresh redesign engineered against today’s tougher tests, which shows up in its award status. Weighing IIHS awards and standard technology, the Hyundai Palisade is the safest of this group.
Hyundai
IIHS crash-test performance
The award tiers separate the three. The redesigned Palisade earns a 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick+, the Institute’s highest honor, which under current rules requires good scores across the small overlap front, updated moderate overlap front, and side tests, good pedestrian crash prevention, and acceptable or good headlights on all trims. Being all-new, let Hyundai engineer the Palisade specifically for the latest standards.
Toyota
The Toyota Highlander has a long record of strong crash performance and earned top honors in earlier rounds, but the current generation, which dates to 2020, has not carried the newest plus-tier award as the tests tightened. It still posts good results in key tests and protects occupants well; it simply is not the freshest design in the group. The Traverse earns a Top Safety Pick, a strong result that sits one step below the Palisade’s plus rating.
Chevrolet
Standard safety technology
All three SUVs are generously equipped. Hyundai fits the Palisade with its SmartSense suite, including forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping and lane-following assist, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control, one of the more complete standard packages in the segment.
Hyundai
Toyota includes the latest Toyota Safety Sense suite on every Highlander, covering automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control, and road-sign recognition, a proven and dependable set of aids. Chevrolet equips the Traverse with its Safety Assist package covering the core functions, with additional features such as blind-spot monitoring available higher up the range. All three cover the essentials; the Palisade and Highlander bring the deepest standard content.
Toyota
Freshness and real-world protection
Design age matters in this class because crash standards keep rising. The Palisade benefits from being newly redesigned, so its structure and restraint systems were tuned around the IIHS moderate overlap test that now includes a rear-seat dummy, a change aimed squarely at protecting second- and third-row passengers.
Chevrolet
For a family SUV, that focus is especially relevant. The Highlander answers with a deep reputation for durability and dependable protection, and it remains a sound, safe choice that has kept families secure for years. The Traverse, redesigned more recently than the Highlander, is roomy and capable and earns a legitimate safety award, but its rating lands a tier below the Hyundai’s.
So which one is the safest?
The Hyundai Palisade is the safest of the three. The redesigned model earns the 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick+, and it backs that top-tier crash performance with one of the most complete standard driver-assistance suites in the class, making it the clear choice for a family that puts protection first. The Toyota Highlander is the pick for a buyer who values a long, proven track record and comprehensive standard safety tech, even if its current design is not the newest. The Chevrolet Traverse is a spacious, genuinely safe option that earns a Top Safety Pick, but it sits one tier down, so safety-focused shoppers should start with the Palisade.
About the author
Kyle Edward
Editor-in-Chief, Autoblog