cars news 10: 2017 Audi A4 Earns TSP+ Award From IIHS

Thanks to its improved performance in the small overlap test, the 2017 Audi A4 has nabbed a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The new A4 scored top marks in all five crash categories. For the 2016 model year, the A4 had received a “Poor” rating in the small overlap test, making it ineligible for the award.

In addition to the five main crash tests, the sedan aced the test for front crash prevention. In this category, it was named Superior, the highest possible score offered by the agency in this category. The A4 offers automatic braking technology that can help prevent collisions with pedestrians and vehicles at speeds of up to 52 mph. Other safety technologies offered on the model include forward collision alert and adaptive cruise control with stop & go traffic jam assist.

Because of its automatic braking technology, the A4 tester was able to avoid a collision when traveling from 12 mph. In the 25 mph test, the A4 reduced the speed of an impact by 22 mph.

IIHS also rates vehicle headlights, although for now acing this category isn’t critical to earning a Top Safety Pick award. The A4 received a score of “Acceptable,” up from last year’s score of “Marginal.”

Source: IIHS, Audi