The 2019 Audi e-tron SUV has been awarded a Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the U.S.
In order to qualify for a Top Safety Pick+ award, the institute stipulates that a vehicle “must earn good ratings in six crashworthiness evaluations, as well as an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention and a good headlight rating.”
Testing saw the all-electric Audi e-tron perform exceptionally well in all crashworthiness testing by earning good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests.
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The Audi e-tron SUV certainly isn’t the first vehicle to receive a Top Safety Pick+ award but it is the first electric car to perform so well during IIHS crash tests. Both the Tesla Model S and Chevrolet Bolt EV models achieved good scores but haven’t been awarded the ‘+’ like the e-tron.
With eye-catching looks the Audi e-tron has already started to establish itself as an EV with potential to sell in huge numbers. With such positive crash testing results, the e-tron has another feather in its cap.
The Audi e-tron comes standard with a large 95 kWh lithium-ion battery pack providing a range of 204 miles (328 km) and paired with two electric motors to deliver a combined 420 hp in Boost Mode. Earlier this month a new entry-level e-tron was launched with a 71 kWh battery pack and a total of 308 hp.