Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: 2019 Audi E-tron Earns Institute’s Highest Award

ARLINGTON, Virginia, Aug. 14 -- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued the following news release:

The 2019 Audi e-tron, a large SUV, is the first battery-electric vehicle to earn a 2019 Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The e-tron, introduced for the 2019 model year, is a plug-in battery-electric vehicle with no gasoline or diesel engine to help power the car. The e-tron fulfills the criteria to earn a Top Safety Pick+ award with standard equipment. To qualify for the award, 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.

The e-tron performed well in crashworthiness testing, 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.

The SUV's standard front crash prevention system rates superior in IIHS track tests. It avoided a collision in the 25-mph test and reduced its impact speed by an average of 11 mph in the 12-mph test. Its forward collision warning component meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria.

The e-tron's only available headlights -- static LEDs with high-beam assist -- earn a good rating. High-beam assist is a system that automatically switches between high beams and low beams, depending on the presence of other vehicles.