Vehicle safety
Vehicle safety has been a high priority at Audi for some time.
As early as 1938, engineers of DKW, one of the four founding brands of today’s AUDI AG, conducted rollover and side-impact tests with DKW models. These were among the first systematic crash tests in the history of the automobile. Active and passive vehicle safety are still clearly in focus today.
Awards from consumer protection organizations: top scores from Euro NCAP and IIHS
Audi endeavors at all times to achieve the best possible endorsement from external consumer protection organizations in the various core markets (e.g., IIHS (USA), China NCAP, Euro NCAP). The awards received are testament to the success achieved through decades of experience, research and development: In the Euro NCAP, almost all Audi models tested since 2009 – including all electric models – have received the top score of five stars.*
Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) is a Europe-wide test program that assesses the safety of new cars in realistic accident scenarios. Audi continued the success series in 2025: The Audi A3, Audi Q3, Audi Q4 e-tron, Audi Q5 and Audi A6 e-tron product lines all received a five-star rating.*
Audi also made an impression in the USA: In 2025, the Audi A5, Audi A6 e-tron, Audi Q5, Audi Q6 e-tron and Audi Q7 SUV product lines were presented with the “Top Safety Pick+ Award” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).*
Current figures
virtual accident simulations per year
crash tests for the further development of passive safety functions
Future-proof: new Audi Vehicle Safety Center since 2023
The investment in the new Audi Vehicle Safety Center (AFZ) in Ingolstadt is paying off: Numerous models have been homologated here since November 2023. The AFZ is one of the most important Audi development facilities in the field of passive safety. Experienced teams of experts carry out one to two crash tests per day, five days a week
Active contribution: Audi Accident Research Unit
In addition to the new and further development of its active and passive vehicle safety systems, AUDI AG also contributes actively to accident research with the Audi Accident Research Unit (AARU); an interdisciplinary research project in collaboration with the University Medical Center in Regensburg. The AARU is committed to better understanding the causes, circumstances and consequences of accidents in order to develop proposals and measures to enhance road safety. Audi shares these findings with authorities and public organizations and also uses them to develop new models.
