The all-new Volkswagen Passat has received the Top Safety Pick rating from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It becomes the eighth Volkswagen model to receive the designation for 2011.
The rating recognizes vehicles that receive the top scores in IIHS front, side and rear crash tests, in roof strength tests, and which are equipped with electronic stability control and head protection airbags.
Other Volkswagen models with the designation are the CC 2.0, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen (sold as the Golf Wagon in Canada), Tiguan, Touareg, and four-door Golf and GTI models.
“The performance of the VW Passat is another example of Volkswagen’s ongoing commitment to engineer vehicles that earn the highest safety ratings,” said IIHS president Adrian Lund. “Top Safety Pick winners achieve that status by earning the top ratings in the Institute’s four demanding tests, and by having electronic stability control, the most important feature in helping drivers avoid many kinds of crashes in the first place.”
