Every electric SUV from Audi has secured the highest Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
This safety accolade applies to all current model-year Audi electric SUVs, including the 2023 Audi Q4 E-Tron and Q4 Sportback E-Tron, as well as the 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron and Q8 E-Tron Sportback. The Q8 E-Tron models represent updates to the E-Tron SUV and Sportback, which also received Top Safety Pick+ ratings as 2023 models.
To attain the Top Safety Pick+ award, vehicles must achieve the highest “Good” rating in the IIHS’s updated side-impact crash test and feature automatic emergency braking systems that score “Advanced” or “Superior” in both daytime and nighttime pedestrian tests. This is in addition to high ratings in all other crash tests and above-average headlight ratings necessary to earn the mid-level Top Safety Pick award.
Launched as a 2024 model, the Q8 family retains all the positive aspects, including the safety rating, from the previous E-Tron and Sportback SUV lineup, but with extended driving range (Audi estimates 300 miles, although EPA ratings have not been released) and somewhat improved handling. The E-Tron SUV was the first electric vehicle to earn the Top Safety Pick+ award in 2019.
The Q4 family emphasizes practicality over flash and comes with a lower price tag compared to other similarly sized premium electric vehicles. Sharing the VW MEB platform, the Q4 models are closely related to the Volkswagen ID.4, which also boasts the same top safety rating.
There’s another Audi EV, the E-Tron GT, which likely won’t undergo IIHS testing. It’s the only non-SUV in Audi’s current EV lineup and is expected to have too low a volume to justify the comprehensive battery of tests by the non-profit safety organization.
