The 2018 BMW X3 has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick+, when the midsize luxury SUV is equipped with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights.

The BMW X3 earned the award after it was redesigned and achieved a good rating on both the driver-side and passenger-side small overlap protection tests. The previous generation of the vehicle was never tested for small overlap protection on either side. In the recent test, the newly-designed car delivered a strong performance with maximum intrusion of 2 inches on one side of the toepan on both the driver and passenger sides.

The 2018 X3 is available with two optional front crash prevention systems, Frontal Collision Warning with City Collision Mitigation and Frontal Collision Warning with Extended Collision Mitigation. Both earn a superior rating. In IIHS track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph, X3s equipped with either system avoided collisions.

Both systems also feature a forward collision warning component that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria.

The headlights included with the X3's Executive package garnered a good rating. The two other available headlight systems earn a marginal rating.

Criteria for capturing a 2018 Top Safety Pick+ award include a good rating in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests; an acceptable or good rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test; an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention; and a good headlight rating.