The Volkswagen Tiguan is one of the automaker's best-sellers here in the US and prospective buyers and owners have another great thing to celebrate. The automaker has just announced its compact crossover has earned the coveted Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This rating is only given to new vehicles that have earned good ratings in the following six categories: driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests.

Another key feature a vehicle must offer is autonomous emergency braking. It must also earn at least an advanced rating for front crash prevention. Headlights also require a good rating for both visibility and lack of excessive glare. The 2019 VW Tiguan has earned bragging rights in six IIHS crashworthiness evaluations.

However, in order to earn a superior rating, one must pay extra for the optional Front Assist system, which is part of the Driver Assistance Package on Tiguan S models and standard on all other Tiguan trims. Now, here's a slight kicker: only Tiguans built after June 2019 and equipped with LED headlights and the Adaptive Front-lighting System, and High Beam Control earns a good headlight rating. Both systems come standard on the Tiguan SEL Premium and SEL Premium R-Line trims.

Now, in order to have a 2019 Tiguan with the Top Safety Pick+ rating you'll have to get the LED headlights with the Adaptive Front-lighting system and High Beam Control, plus Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring.

Now, all of those systems do not come standard, so buyers will have to pony up the additional cash. It's definitely worth it given the IIHS's latest test scores.

"Earning an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating for the Tiguan underscores Volkswagen's commitment to delivering vehicles equipped with latest advanced driver-assistance technology," said Hein Schafer, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategy. The 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan has an MSRP of $24,295 while the 2020 Tiguan, arriving in dealerships right now, has a slight price bump to $24,945.