Chattanooga Passat gets top safety pick

Thursday, September 15, 2011

The insurance industry's research group, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, has selected the Chattanooga-made 2012 Volkswagen Passat as its top safety pick in the car's segment.

The IIHS rates the safety of vehicles based on front, side, rear and rollover crash tests. The 2012 Passat received "good" ratings in all said categories, qualifying it as a leader, according to the institute.

The IIHS reports the Passat performed particularly well for the roof strength test, during which it was able to withstand 6.32 times its curb weight, the highest ratio in the "midsize moderately priced sedan" category. The IIHS' standard for roof strength is a measurement of four times a car's weight.

The 2012 Passat has yet to be tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which will lend more information later in the year.

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