- New Audi Q5 named 2009 Top Safety Pick by IIHS
- Q5 earns highest possible federal marks on front and side impact protection
- New ratings for Q5 reflect Audi's commitment to safety
The successful new Audi Q5 compact SUV has earned a 'Top Safety Pick' award for 2009 from the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), receiving the highest front and side crash ratings from the U.S. safety regulators.
Results from rigorous IIHS testing released this week show the 2009 Audi Q5 received a "good" rating in all three crash measurements including side impact, offset frontal and rear impact seat tests.
The five-star ratings that the Audi Q5 received from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) represent the top marks possible in front and side crash tests.
The Audi Q5 earned five-star ratings for driver and passenger protection in NHTSA frontal crash tests, and five-star ratings for front and rear protection in NHTSA side impact crash tests.
"Audi's engineers place unwavering emphasis on the protection of motorists and their passengers," said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America.
"These outstanding ratings for the Audi Q5 confirm the brand's intent to meet the most rigorous safety standards found anywhere in the world."
To qualify for the IIHS Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of "good" in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and must be equipped with electronic stability control, which Audi installs as standard equipment on every model it produces.
The Q5 joins the A3, A4, A6 and Q7 as Audi models that have merited IIHS Top Safety Pick designation.
Audi's commitment to safety in the Q5 goes beyond crash test safety ratings to include a comprehensive list of active and passive safety features from quattro all-wheel drive, to driver assistance systems like Adaptive Cruise Control, Side Assist and Lane Assist, Electronic Stabilisation Program ESP and ABS to name a few.