VIDEO: Audi Q5 Shines in Overlap Front Crash Test

The 2015 Audi Q5 luxury SUV, which features an improved structure for front-crash protection, has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest honor: the Top Safety Pick+ award.

Both the Top Safety Pick+ honor and the “good” rating in the small overlap front crash test apply to Q5 vehicles built after January of this year. Vehicles that have come off the line since that date have a reinforced front end and occupant compartment, IIHS said.

In the small overlap test, a vehicle moves toward a barrier at 40 mph so that only the car’s left front corner collides with the barrier. When the test was performed on the Q5, the “driver’s space was maintained reasonably well, with maximum intrusion of 4 inches at the lower door hinge pillar,” IIHS said.

Additionally, the driver dummy’s movement was controlled well. “The head hit the front airbag and stayed cushioned until rebound,” IIHS noted. “The side curtain airbag deployed and provided enough forward coverage to protect the head from contact with side structure and outside objects.”

Measures taken from the dummy indicated a low risk of injuries in a crash of this severity, IIHS concluded.

To view crash test video footage, click on the photo or link below the headline.

To qualify for the Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ honor, vehicles must earn a “good” or “acceptable” small overlap rating and a “good” rating in the institute's four other crashworthiness tests. These include moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations.

The “plus” distinction is awarded to vehicles that have an available front crash prevention system that draws an “advanced” or “superior” rating from IIHS. The Q5’s optional system earned an “advanced” rating.