2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Earns Top Safety Pick+ Rating From the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

HERNDON, Virginia, Oct. 28 -- Volkswagen Group of America issued the following news release:

Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced that the 2019 Tiguan earned a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) when equipped with LED headlights with the Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) and High Beam Control (Light Assist) as well as available Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring (Front Assist).

The 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating is issued to vehicles that have earned good ratings in IIHS tests evaluated in six categories: driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. It must also offer an autonomous emergency braking system (AEB) that earns at least an advanced rating for front crash prevention and headlights that earn at a good rating for visibility and lack of excessive glare.

The 2019 Tiguan earns good ratings in six IIHS crashworthiness evaluations. The optional Front Assist system--available in the Driver Assistance Package on S models and standard on all other Tiguan models--earns a superior rating. Models built after June and equipped with LED headlights with the Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) and High Beam Control (Light Assist)--both standard on SEL Premium and SEL Premium R-Line trims--earn a good headlight rating.

"Earning an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating for the Tiguan underscores Volkswagen's commitment to delivering vehicles equipped with latest advanced driver-assistance technology," said Hein Schafer, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategy.

Volkswagen's available Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring (Front Assist) is intended to help warn drivers of potential frontal collisions (Forward Collision Warning) with vehicles and pedestrians, and in some cases provide automatic braking assistance (Autonomous Emergency Braking). Within physical system limits, Forward Collision Warning can warn the driver of potential critical front-end collision situations, both acoustically and visually by a warning symbol in the instrument cluster if the car is traveling above 18 mph. Furthermore, an automatic jolt of the brakes can warn the driver of the danger. If the driver fails to brake, or if the car is traveling below 18 mph, Autonomous Emergency Braking is activated to help slow the vehicle. If the brake pedal is applied but the driver brakes too lightly, the brake pressure is increased by the system (Braking Support).

Available High Beam Control (Light Assist) activates the headlamp high beams above 40 mph on dark or poorly lit roads, if there is no oncoming traffic detected. Other available driver assistance features on the 2019 Tiguan include: Blind Spot Monitor Rear Traffic Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Keeping System (Lane Assist), Park Distance Control, and Overhead View Camera (Area View). Availability depends on model and trim.

The Tiguan provides a combination of both passive and active safety systems, including six airbags, and a number of standard electronic safety systems, such as an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Volkswagen's Automatic Post-Collision Braking System.

The Tiguan is the second model from Volkswagen to be named a 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK by the IIHS. The 2019 GTI was named a TOP SAFETY PICK earlier this year.

IIHS launched its front crash prevention rating program in 2013 to help consumers sort through the maze of available technologies and zero in on the systems it determines to be most effective. For more information on IIHS, visit www.iihs.org. All IIHS ratings are available at http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings.

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About Volkswagen

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America and a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, with headquarters in Herndon, Virginia. Volkswagen's operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Volkswagen Group is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Arteon, Atlas, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, e-Golf, Golf, Golf Alltrack, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen, Jetta, Passat, and Tiguan vehicles through more than 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen online at www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.