Photo: Audi
As opposed to the federally-backed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a nonprofit organization with slightly more demanding criteria for all things automotive safety. Funded by insurance companies, the Virginia-based outfit gives the Top Safety Pick+ award to the safest vehicles out there.
With one month left to go, this year has been dominated by Audi. No fewer than 15 nameplates have received the 2022 Top Safety Pick+ award, starting with the all-electric Q4 e-tron and the Sportback-bodied sibling.
The e-tron and e-tron Sportback bring the total to four. In terms of internal combustion-engined vehicles, the list includes the Q5 and Q5 Sportback, the A3, A4, A4 allroad, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6, A6 allroad, A7, and the sharp-looking Q8 sport utility vehicle. The Ingolstadt-based automaker claims that its best-selling nameplate in this part of the world is the Q5.
“We put our customers first, which means the safety of Audi vehicles is our top priority,” said Daniel Weissland, big kahuna at Audi of America. “We are proud to lead the industry with the most IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards and recognize our amazing Audi engineers that continuously develop, design, and test our cars to achieve these high safety standards.”
To be awarded the lower-tier Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle needs to earn “good” ratings in all six crashworthiness evaluations. These are the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraint evaluations.
The nonprofit organization also demands an available front crash prevention system worthy of the “advanced” or “superior” accolades in both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios. Finally, at least one “good” or “acceptable” headlight system must be available. The only difference between TSP and TSP+ is that Top Safety Pick+ requires “good” or “acceptable” headlights to be standard across a given vehicle’s trims.
The e-tron and e-tron Sportback bring the total to four. In terms of internal combustion-engined vehicles, the list includes the Q5 and Q5 Sportback, the A3, A4, A4 allroad, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6, A6 allroad, A7, and the sharp-looking Q8 sport utility vehicle. The Ingolstadt-based automaker claims that its best-selling nameplate in this part of the world is the Q5.
“We put our customers first, which means the safety of Audi vehicles is our top priority,” said Daniel Weissland, big kahuna at Audi of America. “We are proud to lead the industry with the most IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards and recognize our amazing Audi engineers that continuously develop, design, and test our cars to achieve these high safety standards.”
To be awarded the lower-tier Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle needs to earn “good” ratings in all six crashworthiness evaluations. These are the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraint evaluations.
The nonprofit organization also demands an available front crash prevention system worthy of the “advanced” or “superior” accolades in both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios. Finally, at least one “good” or “acceptable” headlight system must be available. The only difference between TSP and TSP+ is that Top Safety Pick+ requires “good” or “acceptable” headlights to be standard across a given vehicle’s trims.
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