(Wed 13 Aug 08)

For the second time, the Audi Q7 has been given a Top Safety Pick award by the American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The Q7 was given a "good" rating (the highest available) in the IIHS side impact, offset frontal and rear impact seat tests. A similar award was made in 2006, but IIHS ratings remain in force for only two years and the car has to be retested after that. The current award applies to cars built from January this year onwards and will continue through 2009.

For comparison, Euro NCAP gave the Q7 four stars out of five for adult occupant protection, four out of five for child occupant protection and two out of four for pedestrian protection when it tested the car. This is a very competitive score in the large 4x4 category, though marks were lost when, according to the report, "poor welding resulted in rupture of the footwell area". Audi says it has sorted this out, but Euro NCAP has not re-tested the car since then.

The IIHS also gave Top Safety Pick award to the A3, A4 and A6, giving Audi the highest number of these accolades presented to any luxury vehicle manufacturer.

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