Audi’s latest A4 has secured a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

At their latest crash test session, engineers found significant improvement over the previous generation in the small overlap front crash, rated good after a maximum intrusion on 3 inches (7.6 cm) was found at the footrest.

By comparison, its predecessor was rated poor in the same evaluation, due to 11 inches (28 cm) of intrusion into the driver’s space, moved steering column, opened driver’s door and an issue found with the dummy’s head, which slipped off the left side of the airbag.

In the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints, the 2017 Audi A4 followed its predecessor with good ratings and the standard front crash prevention system, noted as a “step up from the previous advanced-rated system that was only available as an option on earlier models” by the IIHS helped it nab a Top Safety Pick Plus.

The test car managed to avoid a collision at 12 mph (19 km/h) and impact was reduced by 22 mph (35 km/h) in the 25 mph (40 km/h) track test. The system has a forward collision warning component as well, meeting NHTSA’s criteria, and for an extra cost, a different optional front crash prevention system is also available, noted with a superior rating too.

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