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Luxury Sedan, SUV Win Insurance Industry Safety Award

Acura RL and Audi Q7 added to top safety pick list

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

August 18, 2008

The 2009 Acura RL, a large luxury car and the 2008 Audi Q7, a large luxury SUV were both given the Top Safety Pick designation by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

There are now 39 cars and SUVs on the current IIHS safety list. There is one large pickup truck on the list, the 2008 Toyota Tundra.

"Winners afford superior overall crash protection among the vehicles in their classes. To qualify, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and be equipped with electronic stability control," according to IIHS.

The RL is the fourth Acura and ninth Honda to win the safety designation.

The Institute reported that Honda has redesigned the Acura RL seat and head restraints to improve protection in rear crashes.

"You don't know what kind of crash you're going to be in," said Adrian Lund, IIHS president. "It's important to choose a vehicle that will protect you in all kinds of crashes."

The Acura RL is also available with a forward collision warning, emergency brake assist, and adaptive headlights, according to IIHS. "The system with the most potential is forward collision warning. On the RL, depending on the closing rate, the system may first sound an alarm and flash a light to warn the driver of a hazard," the Institute reported.

The forward collision warning system tightens safety belts and applies brakes if a crash is imminent. In an urgent situation, the system may apply heavy braking, tighten the safety belt, and alert the driver immediately.

IIHS estimated that forward collision warning systems could potentially avoid more than 2 million crashes each year.

IIHS tested the Audi Q7 at the request of the German automaker. "Because of their size and weight compared with most other passenger vehicles, large SUVs start with a higher level of protection for occupants in the most common kinds of front, side, and rear crashes," according to IIHS.

"They also represent a relatively small segment of the passenger vehicle market. For these reasons and because of limited test time, the Institute doesn't routinely test them," IIHS said in a news release.

The safety designation for the Q7 applies to models built after December 2007, according to IIHS.

"By requesting tests outside of our normal schedule, companies are able to get test results out to consumers faster, and they're able to publicize that they're offering their customers state-of-the-art safety." Lund said.

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