The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has recognized Volkswagen’s 2021 Arteon with its Top Safety Pick award when the large car is outfitted with its LED projector headlights. 

The Arteon was put through the paces, undergoing six rigorous crashworthiness tests and earning good ratings across the board. These included the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. 

However, Top Safety Pick winners must also earn advanced or superior ratings for both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention. Here again, the 2021 Arteon, which features a new standard front crash prevention system, measured up. The car garnered superior and advanced ratings in the vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations, respectively.

Finally, the quality of a vehicle’s headlights are critical in IIHS evaluations. 

In the case of the Arteon, the LED projectors that come with the Arteon’s SEL R-line and SEL Premium R-line trims earn a good rating — giving the car the final element needed to roll away with Top Safety Pick status. However, IIHS notes that the poor-rated base headlights on the SE trim prevent the 2021 Arteon from earning the Institute’s highest honor.