6 Volkswagen models receive top safety ratings from IIHS

Volkswagen recently announced that 6 of its models received the 2017 Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The awardees were the Golf 4-door, Golf Alltrack, Golf Sportwagen, Golf GTI 4-door, Passat, and Jetta.

To qualify for the Top Safety Pick, vehicles must earn good ratings in the 5 crashworthiness test; small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints and seats. In addition, vehicles must get an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention.

Among the vehicles from the German marque awarded with the Top Safety Pick were the Golf 4-door, Golf Alltrack, Golf Sportwagen, GTI 4-door, and Passat.

On the other hand, the Top Safety Pick+ award is given to vehicles that have good ratings in the IIHS test in all 5 categories and have at least an acceptable rating for visibility and lack of excessive glare for headlights.

With this, the Volkswagen Jetta claimed Top Safety Pick+ thanks to its forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking (front assist), and Xenon headlights.

At Volkswagen, we strongly believe that the latest advanced driver assist technologies can be delivered without being in the premium segment,” said Hendrik Muth, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategy.

Volkswagen's forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking system (front assist) driver assistance system makes use of several radar sensors and a camera to monitor the distance of the vehicle ahead. In case of critical front-end collision, the system alerts the driver both acoustically and visually at speeds above 30 km/h and applies the brakes and adds pressure if needed.

Moreover, the Golf family, Jetta, and Passat have other passive and active safety features such as: adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitor with rear traffic alert, active lane departure warning system, among others. 

The IIHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses - deaths, injuries, and property damage - from crashes on America's roads.

For more information about Volkswagen and its vehicles, visit the AutoDeal Car Guide.