VW leads industry with NINE 2011 “Top Safety Pick” Awards!

Not only is the VW Routan the hippest minivan around, but now it’s also the latest VW to earn a TOP SAFETY PICK! Check out the press release below from our corporate office:

The Routan is the latest Volkswagen to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) TOP SAFETY PICK rating for 2011, the highest possible from the non-profit safety research organization. This means that Volkswagen now has no fewer than nine TOP SAFETY PICKS, giving the brand leadership in the U.S. industry.

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.

The other 2011 Volkswagen models to receive the IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK rating are: CC 2.0L TSI®, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Passat, Tiguan, Touareg, and four-door Golf and GTI models.

“The Routan’s performance demonstrates Volkswagen’s ongoing commitment to safety,” said Institute president Adrian Lund. “Vehicles earning TOP SAFETY PICK status afford the best overall protection in the most common kinds of crashes, and have electronic stability control for avoiding many crashes altogether.”

“We’re delighted that the Routan has been given this prestigious award—and even more delighted that Volkswagen now has industry leadership with nine IIHS TOP SAFETY PICKS,” said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. “It’s a great reward for the emphasis we place on safety in the development of our German-engineered vehicles.”