The Audi A4 has long been recognized for its blend of luxury, performance, and sophisticated design. For those considering an Audi A4, especially models from 2017-2025, safety is paramount. This detailed analysis, derived from rigorous testing, offers a comprehensive look at the Audi A4’s safety performance across various crash scenarios and safety evaluations. Understanding these ratings is crucial for making an informed decision about your next vehicle.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Driver-Side Evaluation of Audi A4
The driver-side small overlap front test simulates a challenging real-world scenario where the corner of a vehicle collides with a narrow object like a tree or pole. For the Audi A4 models manufactured between 2017 and 2025, the results are reassuring. The 2017 Audi A4 2.0T Premium 4-door 2wd was put through this demanding test, and the findings extend to the structurally similar Audi A4 allroad wagon and Audi A5 Sportback.
The Audi A4 achieved a “Good” rating in this test, the highest possible. This “Good” rating extends across all critical evaluation criteria, including structure and safety cage integrity, and driver injury measures. Specifically, the measurements for head/neck, chest, hip/thigh, and lower leg/foot injuries were all rated “Good,” indicating a robust level of protection for the driver in this type of collision. Furthermore, driver restraints and dummy kinematics also received a “Good” rating, showcasing the effectiveness of the A4’s safety systems in controlling occupant movement during a crash.
Action shot from the Audi A4 driver-side small overlap frontal crash test, demonstrating vehicle deformation.
Post-crash analysis revealed that the Audi A4 effectively maintained the driver’s survival space. The dummy’s position relative to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel indicated minimal intrusion into the occupant compartment. Technical measurements corroborate this, showing minimal intrusion in key areas such as the lower hinge pillar (4cm), footrest (7cm), and steering column (0cm). These metrics highlight the Audi A4’s structural integrity in preserving space for the driver during a severe frontal impact.
Post-collision dummy position inside the Audi A4, illustrating the maintained survival space for the driver.
The Audi A4’s airbag system also performed admirably in the small overlap test. The frontal and side curtain airbags worked in concert to effectively protect the head, preventing contact with жесткие structures or external objects that could lead to injury. This coordinated airbag deployment is a crucial aspect of the A4’s safety design, aimed at minimizing head trauma in frontal collisions.
Airbag deployment effectiveness in the Audi A4 during a small overlap crash, showing head protection.
In conclusion, the driver-side small overlap front test results for the Audi A4 demonstrate a high level of safety performance. The “Good” ratings across all categories, coupled with technical measurements indicating minimal intrusion and effective airbag deployment, underscore the Audi A4’s commitment to driver protection in challenging frontal crash scenarios.
Driver’s footwell area in the Audi A4 after the small overlap crash test, showing minimal deformation and low injury risk.
Passenger-Side Small Overlap Front Test: Audi A4’s Comprehensive Protection
Building upon the driver-side assessment, the passenger-side small overlap front test evaluates safety performance from the opposite perspective. For the Audi A4, this test is particularly relevant as it ensures consistent safety for all occupants. The ratings for the passenger-side are assigned based on tests conducted by Volkswagen/Audi, adhering to the same rigorous standards.
Similar to the driver-side, the Audi A4 achieved an overall “Good” rating for passenger-side protection. This encompasses “Good” ratings for structure and safety cage, passenger injury measures (head/neck, chest, hip/thigh, lower leg/foot), and passenger restraints and dummy kinematics. Importantly, driver injury measures and driver restraints were also evaluated and received “Good” ratings in this passenger-side focused test, confirming balanced safety for both front occupants.
Technical measurements for the passenger-side test reveal some differences compared to the driver-side, which is typical in small overlap tests due to asymmetrical vehicle structure. Intrusion measurements were slightly higher in some areas, such as the lower hinge pillar (7cm) and footrest (13cm) on the passenger side. However, despite these variations, the “Good” rating signifies that these intrusion levels remained within acceptable safety parameters, and the risk of significant injuries remained low for the passenger. The consistent “Good” ratings across all injury measures for both driver and passenger highlight the Audi A4’s dedication to comprehensive occupant protection.
Moderate Overlap Front Crash Test: Audi A4’s Performance in a Common Collision Type
The moderate overlap front test represents a more common type of frontal collision, where a significant portion of the vehicle’s front end absorbs the impact. The Audi A4’s performance in this test is another indicator of its overall safety design effectiveness. Again, ratings are based on tests conducted by Volkswagen/Audi, ensuring industry-standard evaluation.
The Audi A4 earned an overall “Good” rating in the moderate overlap front test. This rating is supported by “Good” scores for structure and safety cage, driver injury measures (head/neck, chest, leg/foot left and right), and driver restraints and dummy kinematics. These “Good” ratings across the board demonstrate the Audi A4’s ability to effectively manage crash forces in a moderate frontal impact and minimize injury risk to the driver.
Technical measurements for this test show minimal occupant compartment intrusion. Footwell intrusion measurements were consistently low (1cm or less across footrest, left, center, right, and brake pedal areas). Furthermore, instrument panel and steering column movement were also minimal, indicating excellent structural stability and effective energy absorption in a moderate overlap collision. Driver injury measures, such as HIC-15 (161) and chest compression (25mm), were well within safe limits, further confirming the “Good” rating and the Audi A4’s capability to protect occupants in this type of crash.
Side Impact Test: Audi A4’s Protection in Side Collisions
Side-impact collisions pose unique safety challenges, and the Audi A4 is evaluated for its ability to protect occupants in these events. The side test assesses the vehicle’s structure and safety systems in a perpendicular impact scenario. As with other tests, the side ratings are based on Volkswagen/Audi conducted tests.
The Audi A4 achieved an overall “Good” rating in the side impact test. This comprehensive “Good” rating extends to structure and safety cage, driver injury measures (head/neck, torso, pelvis/leg), driver head protection, rear passenger injury measures (head/neck, torso, pelvis/leg), and rear passenger head protection. This clean sweep of “Good” ratings signifies the Audi A4’s robust side-impact protection for both front and rear occupants.
Technical measurements in the side test reveal controlled occupant compartment intrusion. The B-pillar intrusion measurement (-19.0 cm) indicates that the structural crush stopped short of the driver’s seat centerline, demonstrating effective side structure and energy absorption. Driver and passenger injury measures, such as Head HIC-15 (453 and 129 respectively), torso deflection (32mm and 30mm), and pelvis forces, were all within acceptable ranges, supporting the “Good” ratings and showcasing the effectiveness of the Audi A4’s side-impact safety features, including side airbags and structural reinforcements.
Roof Strength Test: Audi A4’s Rollover Protection
Roof strength is a critical safety aspect, particularly in rollover accidents. The roof strength test evaluates the roof’s ability to withstand forces and protect occupants in such events. The rating applies to Audi A4 sedan, allroad wagon, and A5 Sportback models.
The Audi A4 earned a “Good” overall evaluation in the roof strength test. With a curb weight of 3,471 lbs and a peak force of 18,540 lbs, the Audi A4 achieved a strength-to-weight ratio of 5.34. This ratio significantly exceeds the minimum requirement for a “Good” rating, demonstrating the Audi A4’s strong roof structure capable of providing substantial protection in rollover scenarios. This robust roof design contributes to occupant safety by maintaining headroom and reducing the risk of roof crush injuries.
Head Restraints & Seats: Whiplash Protection in Audi A4
Beyond crash tests, head restraints and seats play a crucial role in preventing whiplash injuries in rear-end collisions. The Audi A4’s seat design and head restraint geometry are evaluated to assess their effectiveness in mitigating these types of injuries.
The Audi A4’s power leather seats received an overall “Good” rating for head restraints & seats. Both the dynamic rating and seat/head restraint geometry were rated “Good.” Technical measurements show a backset of 25mm and a distance below the top of the head of 14mm, indicating favorable head restraint positioning. The seat design also passed all relevant parameters, with low neck forces measured in dynamic testing. These results highlight the Audi A4’s commitment to occupant comfort and whiplash injury prevention through well-designed seats and head restraints.
Headlight Evaluation: Visibility Performance of Audi A4 Headlights
Headlight performance is a vital aspect of vehicle safety, impacting visibility and accident avoidance, especially during nighttime driving. The Audi A4 is evaluated with different headlight variations available across trim levels.
The Audi A4’s headlight ratings vary depending on the trim level and headlight type. The Prestige trim with LED projector low beams and LED reflector high beams with high-beam assist achieved an “Acceptable” overall rating. Both Premium Plus trim with LED projector/reflector headlights (without high-beam assist) and Premium trim with HID projector headlights received “Marginal” overall ratings.
The Prestige trim’s LED headlights offer “Fair” to “Good” visibility on straightaways and curves with low beams, and “Good” to “Inadequate” with high beams, with high-beam assist compensating for some limitations. The Premium Plus trim’s LED headlights have similar low and high beam performance without high-beam assist, resulting in a “Marginal” rating. The Premium trim’s HID headlights provide “Good” low beam visibility on straightaways but “Fair” to “Inadequate” visibility on curves, with some glare detected, also leading to a “Marginal” rating. These headlight evaluations indicate that while some Audi A4 headlight options provide adequate visibility, others have limitations, especially in curve illumination.
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Pedestrian Safety in Audi A4
Active safety systems like front crash prevention are increasingly important in modern vehicles. The Audi A4 is evaluated for its vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian front crash prevention capabilities.
For vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention, the Audi A4 with optional “Audi Pre Sense Front” and standard “Audi Pre Sense City” systems both achieved a “Superior” rating. Both systems meet forward collision warning requirements and demonstrated collision avoidance at 12 mph and significant speed reduction (22 mph) in 25 mph tests.
For pedestrian front crash prevention (daytime), the Audi A4 with standard “Pre Sense City” also received a “Superior” rating. The system avoided collisions in 12 mph and 25 mph tests for crossing child and adult scenarios. In parallel adult scenarios, collisions were avoided at 25 mph, and speed was significantly reduced at 37 mph with a timely warning issued. These “Superior” ratings highlight the Audi A4’s advanced front crash prevention systems effectively mitigating vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian collision risks.
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH): Audi A4’s Ease of Child Seat Installation
Child seat anchors, or LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), are essential for safe and convenient child seat installation. The Audi A4’s LATCH system is evaluated for its ease of use and effectiveness.
The Audi A4 received an overall “Good” rating for child seat anchors. It has two rear seating positions with complete LATCH hardware and an additional position with only a tether anchor. The LATCH system is noted for easy-to-find tether anchor locations and lower anchors that are not too deep in the seat, requiring minimal force to attach and easy maneuvering around anchors in positions 1 and 3. Position 2 only has a tether anchor available. This “Good” rating signifies the Audi A4’s user-friendly and effective LATCH system, facilitating secure child seat installation.
Conclusion: Audi A4 as a Safe Vehicle Choice
Overall, the Audi A4 models from 2017-2025 demonstrate a strong commitment to safety, as evidenced by consistently high ratings across various IIHS crash tests and safety evaluations. Achieving “Good” ratings in key areas like small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side impact, roof strength, and head restraints, coupled with “Superior” ratings for front crash prevention systems and a “Good” rating for child seat anchors, positions the Audi A4 as a safe and reliable choice for drivers and families. While headlight performance varies by trim, the Audi A4’s comprehensive safety features and robust crashworthiness provide significant peace of mind for potential owners.
