VW Jetta Wins IIHS Top Safety Pick +; 5 Others Named Top Safety Picks

VW's Jetta won the 2017 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick + award. Five other VWs were named Top Safety Picks.

Six Volkswagen models have earned 2017 Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick + ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). According to the automaker, the:

• 2017 Jetta, equipped with optional Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking – Front Assist – and Xenon headlights, earned a Top Safety Pick + rating
• 2017 Volkswagen Golf 4-Door, Golf Alltrack, Golf GTI 4-door and Golf Sportwagen, equipped with Front Assist, received Top Safety Pick
• 2017 Passat, equipped with Front Assist, received a Top Safety Pick rating

“At Volkswagen, we strongly believe that the latest advanced driver-assist technologies can be delivered without being in the premium segment. The IIHS Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick + ratings awarded to a variety of Volkswagen models complements our ongoing commitment to offering these features,” Hendrik Muth, senior vice president of product marketing and strategy, said Thursday.
Vehicles earning a Top Safety Pick have received good ratings in IIHS tests. They are evaluated in five categories:

1. Frontal impact, moderate overlap
2. Frontal impact, small overlap
3. Side impact
4. Roof strength
5. Head restraints

Also, the vehicle must offer an autonomous emergency braking system (AEB) that earns at least an advanced rating for frontal crash prevention.

Vehicles that earn the coveted Top Safety Pick + have met all of the Top Safety Pick criteria. And, they must offer headlights that receive at least an acceptable rating for visibility and lack of excess glare.
Combining video and radar technologies, VW’s Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking system (Front Assist) use one or more radar sensors coupled with a camera to monitor the distance of traffic ahead of a vehicle.

With system limits, Forward Collision Warning alerts the driver to potential front-end collision situations, using audible and visual warnings. The warnings appear in the instrument cluster at speeds over 19 mph. If necessary, braking begins to slow the vehicle. If the driver fails to hit the brakes, the system automatically applies them. If the pedal is pressed, but too lightly, the pressure is increased by the system – targeted braking. Front Assist is optional on the 2017 Jetta and Golf and standard on Passat.
Other driver assistance features that are available on the Jetta, Golf family and Passat include:

• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Blindspot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert
• Active Lane Departure Warning (Lane Assist)
• Front and Rear Parking Distance Control (ParkPilot)
• Parking Steering Assistant (Park Assist)
• High Beam control (Light Assist)
• Bi-Xenon lights with adaptive front-lighting

Feature availability depends on model and trim. All VW models offer a combination of both passive and active safety systems that are engineered to exceed current crash regulations. Jetta, Golf and Passat are equipped with Automatic Post-Collision Braking as Standard.

Other available driver assistance features on the 2017 Jetta, Golf family and Passat include:

• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
• Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert
• An active Lane Departure Warning system (Lane Assist)
• Front and rear Park Distance Control (ParkPilot)
• Parking Steering Assistant (Park Assist)
• High Beam Control (Light Assist
• Bi-Xenon headlights with the Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS)

All Volkswagen models offer a combination of both passive and active safety systems that are engineered to meet or exceed current crash regulations. The 2017 Jetta, Golf models and Passat are equipped with the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System as standard.