IIHS Ratings 2009
NOVEMBER 2009
Volkswagen, Volvo and Subaru sit atop the insurance industry's annual list of the safest new vehicles, according to a closely watched assessment used by car companies to attract safety-conscious consumers to showrooms.
Volkswagen scored with the 4-door versions of the Jetta, Passat and Golf, the Audi A3 and the Volkswagen Tiguan, a small SUV. Mark Barnes, Volkswagen of America's chief operating officer, said the "safety of our cars is of the utmost concern, from the initial design stages all the way through the maintenance procedures at dealerships."
The annual award recognizes those vehicles that perform best in protecting passengers in the Institute's front, side, and rear crash test evaluations, and the newly required roof-strength test evaluations.
The Institute only tests vehicles with electronic stability control (branded Electronic Stabilization Program® / ESP® on Volkswagen vehicles), and head protection airbags.
Beyond their fun-to-drive dynamics and fuel-efficient engines, every 2010 model year Volkswagen vehicle includes, as standard, Volkswagen's Prevent and Preserve Safety System, composed of more than 40 different features.
The Prevent and Preserve Safety System helps keep drivers and passengers safe during normal driving conditions, and reduces the severity and consequences of a possible crash. The Jetta, Golf, Passat, and Tiguan also come standard with an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), ESP, up to eight airbags (depending on model), and more.
In addition to the Prevent and Preserve Safety System, the entire 2010 Volkswagen lineup includes the no-charge Carefree Maintenance Program.
With it, all of the scheduled maintenance for the vehicle, as described in its maintenance booklet, is covered for the length of the New Vehicle Warranty -- three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
Volvo received the most awards with six. The Volvo S80 and C30 passenger cars and the XC60 and XC90 SUVs all made the list. Volvo said in a statement it is "committed to providing customers with safe vehicles for a broad range of real-world crash conditions."
The Virginia-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded its "top safety pick" on Wednesday to 19 passenger cars and eight sport utility vehicles for the 2010 model year.
The institute substantially reduced the number of awards because of tougher requirements for roof strength.
"With the addition of our roof strength evaluation, our crash test results now cover all four of the most common kinds of crashes," said Institute president Adrian Lund. "Consumers can use this list to zero in on the vehicles that are on the top rung for safety."
Martens is proud to offer the full line of Volvo and Volkswagen vehicles. Safety has always been a key criteria for us, as it is for our customers. We invite you to visit us and enjoy a Guest Drive in a new 2010 Volvo or Volkswagen. Learn more about the many safety, performance and comfort amenities provided by these great vehicles.
