Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Comparing the Pilot with the Telluride on safety runs into an unusual wrinkle. Honda's Pilot is a current IIHS Top Safety Pick honoree, with good results in the institute's crash tests. Kia, meanwhile, skipped the 2026 model year for the Telluride and launched a fully redesigned version sold as a 2027, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not yet tested that new model. That leaves the Pilot with a proven current credential and the Telluride with a blank slate, which is the crux of this matchup.2026 Honda Pilot Elite AWD in Radiant Red Metallic IIHondaSafety ratings at a glanceHere is how the two stack up on the ratings that drive the 2026 IIHS awards, alongside their federal scores.Safety measureHonda PilotKia TellurideIIHS 2026 awardTop Safety PickNo current award (untested)Small overlap frontGoodNot yet testedModerate overlap front (updated)GoodNot yet testedSide (updated)GoodNot yet testedHeadlightsAcceptable or GoodNot yet testedFront crash preventionStandard, qualifying gradesNot yet testedNHTSA overall rating5 starsNot yet ratedWhere each one stands with the IIHSHonda's Pilot earns good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, and side crash tests, the updated moderate overlap test, which includes rear-seat protection evaluation, and it carries acceptable or good headlights. That performance keeps it among the IIHS's current Top Safety Pick honorees, a meaningful credential for a three-row family hauler where rear-seat protection matters most.2026 Kia TellurideKiaThe Telluride is in a different situation. The outgoing generation was a Top Safety Pick+, a strong result, but Kia replaced it with an all-new design that reached dealers in 2026 as a 2027 model. The IIHS has not published crash results for that redesign, so it holds no current award, not because it failed, but because it has not been tested. Until the institute evaluates it, its crashworthiness under the current regime is unknown.Proven versus unprovenThis is the heart of the comparison, and it mirrors a pattern showing up across the industry as redesigns outpace the testing schedule. Safety awards are meant to reflect measured performance, and right now, only the Pilot has current measured performance to point to. The Telluride's absence from the list is a data gap, not evidence of weakness, and its predecessor's Top Safety Pick+ suggests Kia takes the category seriously.2026 Honda Pilot Elite AWD Kristen BrownFor a buyer deciding today, though, that distinction favors the Pilot. Choosing the Telluride on safety grounds means trusting that the redesign will test well when it eventually does, whereas the Pilot already holds a current award. Kia's track record makes the new Telluride a reasonable bet, but a bet is not the same as a proven result.The rest of the safety pictureBoth SUVs come with extensive standard driver-assistance technology, and both brands have solid safety reputations, so neither is a vehicle a family should worry about. The redesigned Telluride may well earn a strong IIHS result once tested, which would tighten this comparison considerably. As of now, though, only the Pilot can prove where it stands under current testing, and for a three-row SUV, that is exactly the reassurance many families want.2026 Kia TellurideKiaAdvertisementAdvertisementSo which one is safer?On current, verified credentials the Honda Pilot is safer. It holds a current IIHS Top Safety Pick award with good crash-test results, while the redesigned Kia Telluride, sold as a 2027 model, has not been crash-tested yet and therefore carries no current award. The important nuance is that the Telluride's lack of a rating reflects timing rather than a poor result, and its predecessor was a Top Safety Pick+, so the redesign may test well once evaluated. But safety is decided on evidence, and today the Pilot has it while the new Telluride does not, so the Pilot takes the win for now.This story was originally published by Autoblog on Jul 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the Car Buying section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.