Redesigned for 2015, it is said to be Audi’s first model to earn a Top Safety Pick title and the first ever to pass the small-overlap front crash test with a good or acceptable rating.
The small-overlap evaluation, introduced in 2012, is considered the agency’s toughest trial. Vehicles are driven into the edge of a solid barrier at 40 mph, highlighting limitations to certain crumple-zone designs that may otherwise perform well during head-on collisions or moderate-overlap impacts.
“In the small overlap test of the A3, the structure held up well, with a minimal amount of intrusion into the driver’s space,” the agency said in a statement. “The dummy’s movement was well-controlled, and injury measures taken from the dummy indicated a low risk of injury.”
The ‘+’ designation requires a vehicle to demonstrate some form of crash-prevention technology. The A3 features an optional automatic-braking system that successfully avoided a crash in the IIHS 12-mph test.
The all-new A3 is scheduled to arrive in showrooms next month.
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