The new Audi Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback are the latest models to receive the auto industry’s coveted safety acknowledgment, leading two other 100% electric Audi SUVs in securing the highest 2023 Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The US-based preeminent nonprofit organization gave the 100% electric Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback — which debuted in the Philippines in August — the top rating based on the vehicles’ crashworthiness, as well as other factors such as crash avoidance and lighting technology.
The other 100% electric Audi models earning the Top Safety Pick+ are the Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 e-tron Sportback. The gasoline-powered Audi Q8 also qualified for the highest safety rating.
The criteria for safety evaluations are basically the same for electric vehicles and combustion engine-powered models. But with its e-tron range, Audi goes further by ensuring the battery is safeguarded in the event of a crash. The e-tron models’ battery system consists of a rigid housing that not only protects its modules even during a major collision, but also acts as an additional reinforcement for the vehicle’s structure.
Strengthening its award requirements in February this year, the IIHS updated its side crash evaluation to now involve 82% more energy compared to the original test, along with a new nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention test. The standard crash avoidance systems on the Q8 e-tron and Q8 e-tron Sportback garnered a “Superior” rating for daytime use and an “Advanced” rating for nighttime use.
To qualify for the two highest IIHS awards in 2023, a vehicle must also now earn “Good” ratings in the driver- and passenger-side small front overlap and original moderate overlap front collision tests, and come equipped with “Acceptable” or “Good” headlights across all its variants.
The new Q8 e-tron models are the flagship among Audi’s extensive range of 100% electric SUVs and crossovers. Defining the latest models are updated design elements, improved efficiency and range, revised motors, more progressive steering, and enhanced chassis control systems.