Arlington, Virginia - The 2008 Audi Q7 has earned the rating of “Top Safety Pick” from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which recognizes superior overall crash protection among vehicles in the class. The Q7’s award applies to models built after 2007.

To qualify for a Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of “good” in the IIHS’ front, side and rear crash tests, and be equipped with electronic stability control, which is standard on the Q7.

“Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results,” said IIHS president Adrian Lund.

The IIHS does not routinely test large SUVs, because they start with a higher level of protection for occupants in the most common types of front, side and rear crashes due to their size and weight, and because they represent a relatively small segment of the passenger vehicle market and test time is limited. The Q7 was tested at Audi’s request, with the company reimbursing the IIHS for the cost of the vehicle as per procedures when tests are conducted outside of the usual testing schedule.

“Audi has been working hard to design vehicles that qualify for Top Safety Pick,” Lund said. “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. More manufacturers are requesting early tests of new models, or tests of models in categories we don’t usually evaluate, and we accommodate this whenever we can.”