Volvo's 2019 XC40 and XC60 crossovers have earned recognition from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety as top safety picks with only the headlights making the difference in the award tier each received.

A new small SUV, the 2019 Volvo XC40 captured the prestigious Top Safety Pick+ award when equipped with optional curve adaptive headlights.  The 2019 Volvo XC60, a midsize luxury SUV, garnered Top Safety Pick status when equipped with curve adaptive headlights.

The two SUVs were put through the paces and both earned good crashworthiness ratings in a series of rigorous tests. These included the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint, as well as the passenger-side small overlap front test.

To qualify for either top safety award, a vehicle must have an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention. Both Volvo SUVs fit the bill as they each come with standard superior-rated front crash prevention systems.

However, the first-tier "plus" award also requires a good headlight rating. This is where the XC60 fell short.

While the XC40 earns a good rating for its curve-adaptive LED reflector headlights, which come with the optional Advanced package, the XC60's optional curve-adaptive LED reflector headlights earn just an acceptable rating.

The two SUVs are the first models from Volvo to earn 2019 safety awards from IIHS.