Passat, Jetta, GTI, and Golf All Qualify as IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus for 2016

Every year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) releases their list of top safety picks. To qualify as a top safety pick, a vehicle must earn good ratings in five crashworthiness tests: small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. It also needs a basic rating for front crash prevention. To qualify as a top safety pick plus, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the five crashworthiness tests and an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention. Volkswagen routinely finds its vehicles represented on IIHS lists every year, and 2016 is no exception. The Passat, Jetta, GTI, and Golf all qualify as IIHS top safety picks plus for 2016.

The Volkswagen Golf and the Volkswagen GTI are top safety pick plus for the second straight year, and have been a top safety pick for seven straight years. The Golf and GTI both feature front and rear head curtain airbags as well as front seat-mounted torso airbags. They also have electronic stability control, antilock brakes, and daytime running lights. A new addition to this year’s models is a rollover sensor that is designed to deploy the side curtain airbags in the event of an impending rollover. Here’s a look at the small overlap test for the GTI:

This is the second straight year for the Volkswagen Jetta to get the nod as an IIHS top safety pick plus and the first year for the Volkswagen Passat. Much like the Golf and the GTI, both the Passat and Jetta have front and rear head curtain airbags and front seat-mounted torso airbags. They also feature electronic stability control, antilock brakes, daytime running lights, and the rollover sensor that is designed to deploy the side curtain airbags in the event of an impending rollover. Below is video of the small overlap test for the Jetta and for the Passat:

These Volkswagen models earned their rankings even as IIHS toughened their standards. According to an article on PR Newswire, “A number of previous winners are missing from the new lists, including many small and midsize cars. Last year, vehicles with an acceptable small overlap rating could qualify for either award if their other four crashworthiness ratings were good. An available front crash prevention system was required only for TOP SAFETY PICK+ and not TOP SAFETY PICK. More than 20 winners of the 2015 TOP SAFETY PICK award and four plus-award winners don’t qualify under the 2016 criteria. The tougher criteria are intended to encourage manufacturers to continue to build safer vehicles, a focus that has helped to dramatically reduce crash deaths during the past two decades.”

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