The 2023-24 Audi Q7, a large SUV, qualifies for a TOP SAFETY PICK+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety thanks to headlight adjustments that eliminated excessive glare.
To qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK+ in 2023, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, original moderate overlap front and updated side tests. Acceptable or good headlights must be standard across all trims, and a front crash prevention system that earns advanced or superior ratings in both the daytime and nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations must be available.
In contrast, for the lower-tier TOP SAFETY PICK award, an acceptable rating in the updated side test is enough, and vehicles only need to demonstrate advanced or superior performance in the daytime pedestrian test.
All 2024 Q7s and 2023 ones built after January, when Audi made aim adjustments to all the available headlights, qualify for the higher-tier award.
The standard front crash prevention system supplied with all trims earns a superior rating in the daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluation and an advanced rating in the nighttime test. The HD Matrix-Design LED headlights with Laser Light available on the 55 TFSI Prestige trim earn a good rating, while the two other available headlight variations are rated acceptable.
On 2023 models built before February, all available headlight variations earn poor ratings due to excessive glare.
SOURCE: IIHS
