AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The 2006 Volkswagen Passat has earned a “Double Best Pick” designation for outstanding performance in front and side tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).  The Passat earned the top rating in every individual measurement category (head protection, injuries and structural design) for both the side impact and frontal tests.

            Earlier this year, the all-new 2005 Jetta was named a “Best Pick” for side crash protection and earned good ratings for frontal crash protection by the IIHS.  At the time, it was the first vehicle ever to earn the top rating in every individual measurement category in side impact tests.

            Together, the Jetta and Passat account for 67% of Volkswagen’s U.S. sales.

“At Volkswagen our vehicles are designed for Autobahn safety from the inside out,” said Adrian Hallmark, Executive Vice President, Volkswagen of America. “These findings are the result of years and years of testing, real world study of accidents, and German Safety engineering and development.”