Audi A6 Becomes the Brand’s Seventh IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Model

[Source: Audi of America]

Safety may not be the most exciting consideration when shopping for a luxury sport sedan, but it’s becoming one of Audi’s biggest competitive advantages. The all-new 2026 Audi A6 has earned a 2026 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ award, the organization’s highest safety honor. Even more impressively, the recognition gives Audi seven Top Safety Pick+ winners for the 2026 model year, more than any other luxury automaker.

The ninth-generation A6 arrived for 2026 with a sharper design, improved performance, and the latest generation of Audi technology. It also raises the bar for occupant protection, combining the engaging driving dynamics Audi is known for with a comprehensive suite of standard active and passive safety systems.

Top Safety Pick+ Criteria

To earn the coveted Top Safety Pick+ designation, the A6 excelled in every major IIHS evaluation. It received “Good” ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, and side-impact crash tests while also earning qualifying scores for its headlights and front crash prevention systems.

The accomplishment is particularly noteworthy because IIHS made its testing standards even tougher for 2026. Vehicles must now achieve a “Good” rating in the updated moderate overlap front crash test, designed to better evaluate rear-seat passenger protection, to qualify for either Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+.

Audi Leads the Industry

The Institute also strengthened its crash avoidance requirements. To earn the “+” designation, vehicles must now receive a “Good” rating in pedestrian front crash prevention and at least an “Acceptable” rating in updated vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention testing. That evaluation now includes not only passenger vehicles but also motorcycles and semitrailers. Qualifying crash prevention technology must also be standard equipment across the model range.

The A6’s award reflects Audi’s continued investment in advanced safety technology across its lineup. As of July 2026, seven Audi models have earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation:

• 2026 Audi A5
• 2026 Audi A6
• 2026 Audi Q5
• 2026 Audi Q5 Sportback
• 2027 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron
• 2027 Audi Q6 e-tron
• 2027 Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron

With safety standards becoming more demanding every year, Audi’s ability to lead the luxury segment in IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards demonstrates that the brand’s latest vehicles aren’t just designed to be enjoyable to drive. Audi vehicles are engineered to protect the people inside them when it matters most.