The renowned Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the USA has awarded both the Audi Q5 and Audi A4 models its 2010 TOP SAFETY PICK rating. These two models join the Audi A3 in achieving the highest safety recognition granted by the influential IIHS. Audi now offers more vehicles on the US market with the TOP SAFETY PICK rating than any German luxury automaker.
- Audi now has the most TOP SAFETY PICK ratings among German luxury automakers in the USA
- Stringent new rollover roof strength test added for 2010 by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The IIHS regularly carries out crash tests on behalf of the US insurance industry on passenger vehicles of all kinds to establish their safety standard. Experts and car buyers alike around the world pay close attention to the results. TOP SAFETY PICK recognizes the vehicles that earn the highest rating of “good” for front, side and rear crash protection, and that have electronic stability control, which is standard on all of these models.
For the 2010 model year and beyond, IIHS had added a new rollover roof strength test. To earn TOP SAFETY PICK recognition, a vehicle must also earn the highest rating of “good” for roof strength in rollover crashes. To measure roof strength, a metal plate is pushed against one corner of a vehicle’s roof at a constant speed.
The maximum force sustained by the roof before 5 inches of crush is compared to the vehicle’s weight to find the strength-to-weight ratio. This is a good assessment of vehicle structural protection in rollover crashes.
A vehicle earning a good rating can withstand a force equal to at least 4 times the vehicle’s weight.
- Audi of America
