2015 Audi A3 Gets Top Safety Pick Plus Rating from IIHS

After a number of stringent safety tests were carried out, the IIHS decided the A3 sedan is worthy of the title "Top Safety Pick Plus". The car received "Good" rating in every type of crash, including the new front small overlap.

In fact, this is the very first Audi model to get the 2014 Top Safety Pick Plus moniker. The A3 also received the "Advanced" rating for front crash prevention.

"The TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating for the A3 sedan demonstrates the full Audi commitment to safety," said Mark Del Rosso, Chief Operating Officer, Audi of America. "With a host of standard luxury features, industry-first technology and uncompromised design, the Audi A3 raises the bar as to what is expected out of entry-level luxury vehicles."

Safety features on the 2015 Audi A3 sedan:

• Side airbags: front and rear head curtain airbags and front seat-mounted torso airbags (standard); rear seat-mounted torso airbags (optional)
• Rollover sensor: designed to deploy the side curtain airbags in the event of an impending rollover
• Driver and front passenger knee airbags: separate airbags in the lower instrument panel designed to minimize knee injuries in frontal crashes
• Electronic stability control
• Antilock brakes
• Daytime running lights

The all-new A3 sedan is going on sale this April and is going to be the cheapest Audi you can buy in America. With a MSRP of $29,900, this car aims squarely at younger buyers and first-time Audi owners. The base model comes with a 1.8-liter TFSI turbo engine, which the IIHS tested. You can also buy it with a larger 2-liter TFSI from $32,900.

The first of many new compact models, the A3 sedan will be joined in the next 16 months by the A3 Cabriolet, A3 TDI clean diesel, S3 and A3 e-tron PHEV.