Moderate overlap front: original test
Rating applies to 2002-08 models built after February 2002
Tested vehicle: 2002 Audi A4 1.8T quattro 4-door 4wd
The Audi A4 was redesigned for the 2002 model year. Audi A4s manufactured after February 2002 include structural changes to improve occupant protection in frontal crashes. (Note: Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door.)
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has evaluated the crashworthiness of a 2002 A4 with the structural changes in a 40 mph frontal offset crash test into a deformable barrier.
The frontal offset crash test ratings also apply to the station wagon version of the A4, known as the A4 Avant, beginning with 2002 models manufactured after February 2002.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Chest | |
| Leg/foot, left | |
| Leg/foot, right | |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics |
Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.
The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.
Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head hit the roof rail during rebound. Head acceleration from this hit was low.
Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal, and all leg and foot injury measures were low.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CEF0216 |
|---|---|
| Footwell intrusion | |
| Footrest (cm) | 4 |
| Left (cm) | 6 |
| Center (cm) | 5 |
| Right (cm) | 3 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 10 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement | |
| Left (cm) | 2 |
| Right (cm) | 3 |
| Steering column movement | |
| Upward (cm) | 4 |
| Rearward (cm) | 1 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 1 |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CEF0216 |
|---|---|
| Head | |
| HIC-15 | 145 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | 38 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 1.0 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 26 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.43 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 29 |
| Legs | |
| Femur force - left (kN) | 3.3 |
| Femur force - right (kN) | 3.6 |
| Knee displacement - left (mm) | 10 |
| Knee displacement - right (mm) | 1 |
| Maximum tibia index - left | 0.71 |
| Maximum tibia index - right | 0.75 |
| Tibia axial force - left (kN) | 1.8 |
| Tibia axial force - right (kN) | 2.1 |
| Foot acceleration (g) | |
| Left | 58 |
| Right | 64 |
Side: original test
Rating applies to 2005-08 models built after October 2004
Tested vehicle: 2005 Audi A4 2.0T quattro 4-door 4wd with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags
The Audi A4 was redesigned for the 2002 model year. The car was reengineered and restyled during the 2005 model year so that 2005 models manufactured after October 2004 include structural changes to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes. Occupant protection in frontal crashes was not affected for 2002 and later A4 models manufactured after February 2002. (Note: Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door. The reengineered A4 can also be identified by a much larger grille compared with the earlier version.)
The side impact crash test ratings also apply to the station wagon version of the A4, known as the A4 Avant, beginning with 2005 models manufactured after October 2004.
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Structure and safety cage | |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Driver head protection | |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | |
| Torso | |
| Pelvis/leg | |
| Rear passenger head protection | |
View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.
View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.
Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side curtain airbag.
Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy's head was protected by the side airbag.
Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CES0507 |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) | -11.0 |
| Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline. | |
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CES0507 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 237 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.8 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.4 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 48 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 1.6 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 29 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 25 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.91 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.33 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 1.4 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 1.7 |
| Combined force (kN) | 2.9 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.2 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 54 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | 22 |
Passenger injury measures
| Test ID | CES0507 |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 190 |
| Neck | |
| Tension (kN) | 0.3 |
| Compression (kN) | 0.5 |
| Shoulder | |
| Lateral deflection (mm) | 48 |
| Lateral force (kN) | 2.1 |
| Torso | |
| Maximum deflection (mm) | 37 |
| Average deflection (mm) | 32 |
| Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 4.57 |
| Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.72 |
| Pelvis | |
| Iliac force (kN) | 0.6 |
| Acetabulum force (kN) | 3.0 |
| Combined force (kN) | 3.4 |
| Left femur | |
| L-M force (kN) | 0.6 |
| L-M moment (Nm) | 70 |
| A-P moment (Nm) | -20 |
Head restraints & seats
Seat type: All seats AHR manufactured after Nov 2005
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | |
| Seat/head restraint geometry |
| Seat type | All seats AHR manufactured after Nov 2005 |
|---|---|
| Geometry | |
| Backset (mm) | 18 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | 52 |
| Seat design parameters | |
| Pass/fail | Pass |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 12.7 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 62 |
| Force rating | 2 |
| Neck forces | |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 108 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 759 |
Seat type: All seats AHR manufactured Oct 2004 to Dec 2005
| Overall evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | |
| Seat/head restraint geometry |
| Seat type | All seats AHR manufactured Oct 2004 to Dec 2005 |
|---|---|
| Geometry | |
| Backset (mm) | 42 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | 45 |
| Seat design parameters | |
| Pass/fail | Fail |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 14.4 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 71 |
| Force rating | 2 |
| Neck forces | |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 150 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 859 |
About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.