The 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron has become one of the safest electric vehicles on U.S. roads after earning the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest accolade, the 2025 Top Safety Pick+ award. This year, IIHS raised the bar by introducing a tougher moderate-overlap front collision test that evaluates protection for rear-seat occupants. The Q6 e-tron not only met these new criteria but also secured “good” ratings across all required crashworthiness and crash-avoidance evaluations.
In the updated moderate-overlap test, vehicles collide head-on at 40 mph with 40 percent of their front width overlapping a barrier, and IIHS added a small rear-seat dummy and new injury metrics to reflect the risks faced by passengers behind the driver. The Q6 e-tron achieved a top “good” rating in that test, a prerequisite for earning the “plus” distinction. It also earned “good” ratings in the small-overlap front and updated side tests, and either “good” or “acceptable” grades for its pedestrian crash-avoidance performance in both daytime and nighttime scenarios. Its standard LED headlights were likewise deemed acceptable or better.
Audi’s proactive approach to occupant protection played a significant role in the Q6 e-tron’s strong performance. In an impending collision, the vehicle automatically closes its side windows and sunroof and pretensions the front seatbelts. Standard active front assist combines emergency braking, swerve assist, intersection turn assistance and front cross-traffic warnings to help prevent or mitigate crashes. Side assist monitors blind spots, while lane-departure warning provides corrective steering intervention above 40 mph. Rear-cross-traffic and rear turn assist systems, along with passenger exit warnings and traffic sign recognition, further enhance driver awareness in low-speed and parking maneuvers.
For drivers seeking semi-autonomous features, available adaptive cruise assist can accelerate, brake and keep the Q6 e-tron centered in its lane even in stop-and-go traffic. The optional top-view camera system stitches together feeds from multiple cameras to give a 360-degree view around the vehicle, making tight-space parking and low-speed maneuvering easier and safer.
With this Top Safety Pick+ award, Audi reinforces its commitment to safety across its electrified lineup. As EV adoption grows, achieving the highest IIHS honors underscores the Q6 e-tron’s blend of cutting-edge technology, performance and, above all, passenger protection.
