Screen shot of Audi A4 Allroad courtesy of Car TV/YouTube.

Screen shot of Audi A4 Allroad courtesy of Car TV/YouTube.

Three redesigned mid-size cars from Audi — the 2017-18 A4 Allroad, 2018 A5 Sportback and 2018 A5 Coupe — have qualified for the Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

To earn the 2017 Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle must draw the highest rating of “good” in five IIHS crashworthiness test categories — driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. The vehicle also must garner a rating of “advanced” or “superior” for front crash prevention.

All three vehicles have a standard front crash prevention system that earned a “superior” rating, IIHS said. The system avoided a collision in the 12 mph IIHS track test and reduced impact speed by an average of 22 mph in the 25 mph test. The system also includes a forward collision-warning component that meets criteria from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

But the cars failed to qualify for the highest IIHS award, Top Safety Pick+, which requires a rating of “good” or “acceptable” for headlights. The best available headlights on the A5 Coupe and the A5 Sportback were rated “marginal,” IIHS said. The headlights on the Premium Plus and Prestige trims of the A4 Allroad also drew a rating of “marginal.” IIHS noted it hasn’t had the opportunity to test that vehicle’s base headlights.

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