How Mazda's 2025 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Awards Benefit Ontario Families
October 08 2025,
Mazda earned more 2025 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards than any other brand. Eight vehicles received the highest possible safety recognition, including models that Ontario families drive daily across Scarborough and the Greater Toronto Area.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluates crash protection, collision avoidance, and headlight performance. Earning a Top Safety Pick+ award requires top ratings in front and side crash tests, pedestrian crash prevention assessments, and standard headlights rated as acceptable or good. For 2025, IIHS strengthened the criteria with a new rear-seat crash test that required automakers to add additional safety equipment. Mazda met every requirement across eight models.
The Eight Award-Winning Models
The following 2025 Mazda vehicles earned IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards:
- Mazda3
- Mazda3 Sport
- CX-30
- CX-50 (including CX-50 Hybrid)
- CX-70 (including CX-70 PHEV)
- CX-90 (including CX-90 PHEV)
All models achieved a Good rating (the highest available) in the new rear-seat crash test. This required Mazda to add rear seat belt pretensioners and load limiters across its lineup, which help reduce rear-seat injuries during collisions.
What Makes the 2025 Awards Different
IIHS introduced a tougher rear-seat crash test in 2025 to evaluate how well vehicles protect passengers sitting behind the driver. Previous testing focused primarily on front-seat occupants.
Mazda responded by equipping all tested models with rear seat belt pretensioners and load limiters. These systems tighten seat belts and manage the force applied to passengers during impact. Advanced airbags provide additional protection for all occupants.
The new test measures forces on rear-seat crash test dummies and evaluates how vehicle structures manage impact energy. Mazda's body structures earned Good ratings across all tested vehicles.
Pedestrian Detection Calibrated for Low-Light Conditions
Ontario families drive during early morning commutes and after-dark errands throughout October and winter months. Mazda's pedestrian detection systems are tuned to work in varying lighting conditions, including low-light and nighttime scenarios common in the Greater Toronto Area during fall and winter.
Standard i-Activsense safety features on the CX-30, CX-50 Hybrid, CX-70, and CX-90 include pedestrian detection with front sensing. The system monitors the road ahead and can apply brakes automatically if a pedestrian is detected in the vehicle's path.
Higher trims on the CX-90 add rear pedestrian detection, which monitors behind the vehicle when reversing out of driveways or parking spaces.
Rear Seat Belt Pretensioners and Advanced Airbags
Mazda added rear seat belt pretensioners and load limiters to meet the 2025 IIHS criteria. These components work together during a collision:
- Pretensioners tighten the seat belt within milliseconds of impact, reducing slack and keeping passengers secured.
- Load limiters release a controlled amount of belt webbing to reduce chest pressure while maintaining restraint.
These features complement Mazda's airbag system, which includes:
- Front dual-stage driver and passenger airbags
- Front and rear side airbags
- Front and rear curtain airbags
- Driver and front passenger knee airbags
All eight award-winning models include these systems as standard equipment.
i-Activsense Safety Features Across the Lineup
Every Mazda model tested by IIHS includes standard i-Activsense safety technologies:
- Smart Brake Support with pedestrian detection
- Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go
- Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning
- High Beam Control
The CX-70 and CX-90 add Cruising & Traffic Support on GT and higher trims. This system maintains speed and lane position on highways and can bring the vehicle to a stop in stop-and-go traffic.
Why IIHS Awards Matter for Ontario Drivers
The IIHS is an independent, non-governmental safety testing organization funded by the insurance industry. Its testing protocols are among the most rigorous in North America.
Vehicles that earn Top Safety Pick+ awards meet multiple criteria:
- Good ratings in driver-side small overlap, passenger-side small overlap, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraint tests
- Good or Advanced ratings in pedestrian crash prevention
- Good or Acceptable headlight ratings on all trim levels
These ratings reflect real-world crash scenarios that Ontario drivers encounter on highways, city streets, and residential roads.
Standard Safety Equipment on Ontario's Most Popular Mazda Models
2025 Mazda CX-30
The CX-30 includes Blind Spot Monitoring with Vehicle Exit Warning, which alerts drivers if a vehicle approaches from behind when opening the door. Smart Brake Support Front and rear, along with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, are standard on all trims.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid
The CX-50 Hybrid adds enhanced Smart Brake Support that includes nighttime pedestrian detection and head-on collision mitigation. Vehicle Exit Warning is standard, reducing the risk of opening doors into passing traffic.
2025 Mazda CX-70
All CX-70 models include standard Smart Brake Support, Blind Spot Monitoring, and a rearview camera. GT and higher trims add a 360° View Monitor, Emergency Lane Keeping, and front and rear parking sensors.
2025 Mazda CX-90
The CX-90 includes standard Smart Brake Support, pedestrian detection (front), and Lane Keep Assist. GT-P and Signature trims add Emergency Lane Keeping with Head-on Traffic Avoidance Assist and Secondary Collision Reduction, which applies brakes after an initial impact to prevent additional collisions.
Key Takeaways
|
Feature |
Benefit |
|---|---|
|
Rear Seat Belt Pretensioners |
Reduces rear-seat injuries during collisions |
|
Load Limiters |
Manages belt tension to reduce chest pressure |
|
Pedestrian Detection (Low-Light) |
Works in fall/winter conditions common in Ontario |
|
Advanced Airbag Systems |
Front, side, and curtain airbags in all rows |
|
IIHS Good Rating (Rear Seat) |
Highest available score for rear-seat crash protection |
Mazda's eight Top Safety Pick+ awards reflect engineering decisions that benefit families across Ontario. Every tested vehicle includes rear seat belt pretensioners, advanced airbags, and pedestrian detection systems as standard equipment.
Learn About Award-Winning Safety Technology at Scarboro Mazda
The 2025 Mazda CX-30, CX-50 Hybrid, CX-70, and CX-90 are available now at Scarboro Mazda in Scarborough. Our team can walk you through i-Activsense safety features, arrange test drives, and explain how these systems work in real-world driving conditions across Ontario. Learn about our award-winning safety technology at Scarboro Mazda today.
