The 2015 Audi A3 has scored top honours in the latest rounds of crash testing from the U.S.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The A3 is the first Audi model to be awarded the Top Safety Pick+ accolade for this year. It walked away with high ratings in every test, including the notoriously difficult small-overlap evaluation. For perspective, the Audi A4 scored a ‘Poor’ rating on the small-overlap test when it was evaluated in 2012.
According to the IIHS report, the crash test dummy showed a possibility of sustaining rib and pelvis fractures in a side-impact collision. As a result, the A3 earned an ‘Acceptable’ rating in those evaluations, the IIHS’ second highest award.
To qualify for a Top Safety Pick, cars must score a rating of ‘Acceptable’ or better in all of the IIHS evaluations. The Top Safety Pick+ is awarded when all evaluations are aced and the vehicle being tested is available with a forward-collision warning system.
Audi’s forward-collision warning system, known as Pre Sense, is optional on the A3.
