The all-new Volkswagen Passat—made in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and
repositioned to compete in the heart of the mid-size sedan market— has
earned the coveted Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) TOP
SAFETY PICK rating for 2011, the highest possible from the non-profit
safety research organization.
The annual rating 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 awards TOP SAFETY PICK ratings to vehicles that are
fitted with electronic stability control and head protection airbags.
Volkswagen now has no fewer than eight 2011 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICKS.
The other 2011 Volkswagen models to receive the rating are: CC 2.0L
TSI®, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Tiguan, Touareg, and four-door Golf and
GTI models.
“The performance of the Passat is another example of Volkswagen’s
ongoing commitment to engineer vehicles that earn the highest safety
ratings,” says Institute president Adrian Lund. “Top Safety Pick winners
achieve that status by earning the top ratings in the Institute’s four
demanding tests, and by having electronic stability control, the most
important feature in helping drivers avoid many kinds of crashes in the
first place.”
“The new Passat is an important vehicle for Volkswagen,” said
Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
“It has been engineered in Germany specifically to compete in the heart
of the U.S. mid-size sedan segment.
“To have IIHS recognize the Passat as a TOP SAFETY PICK is a great
statement for this new car—and to have eight Volkswagen models with this
significant award is an equally great statement for the brand. It’s a
testament to our commitment to make safety such a high priority in
vehicle development, using advanced techniques such as laser seam
welding and the extensive use of high-strength steel to build
exceptionally strong structures.”
The Passat goes on sale in the U.S. during the third week of September.
For more information, please visit
www.vw.com.
