IIHS slams Audi Q4 e-tron: poor crash-test safety rating
Audi Q4 e-tron earns poor IIHS rating for rear-seat safety
IIHS slams Audi Q4 e-tron: poor crash-test safety rating
IIHS gives the Audi Q4 e-tron a poor rating, citing rear-passenger injury risk, weak headlights, and limited nighttime AEB. See how it stacks up to VW ID.4.
2025-11-04T18:02:36+03:00
2025-11-04T18:02:36+03:00
2025-11-04T18:02:36+03:00
The U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has run its updated moderate-overlap crash test, and the Audi Q4 e-tron along with the Q4 Sportback e-tron fell well short. Both electric crossovers received a poor rating and were removed from consideration for a Top Safety Pick.IIHS pointed to elevated chest injury risk for rear passengers as the key reason, along with seat belts that, during impact, shifted from the hips to the abdomen, raising the likelihood of internal injuries. While head and neck protection was deemed acceptable, the overall safety of the back seat proved insufficient. In today’s protocol, rear-occupant protection is a decisive metric, and the Q4 duo comes up short where families expect strength.The institute also highlighted weak headlight performance and limited effectiveness of the automatic emergency braking at night. In a nighttime test at 60 km/h, the system cut speed by only 34 km/h, which was not enough to avoid striking a pedestrian. That kind of result underlines how crucial nighttime performance has become as real-world scenarios drive safety ratings.It’s a reputational setback for Audi, especially next to the more affordable Volkswagen ID.4, built on the same platform and enjoying stronger sales. In the U.S., over the first nine months of 2025, just 6,667 Q4 e-tron units were sold versus 22,125 ID.4s—a comparison that makes the shortfall harder to ignore.Audi plans to update the model in 2026 with improvements to safety and equipment. After this test, though, buyer confidence will need rebuilding—despite a starting price of $50,600 and a range of up to 463 km. The refresh will have to address these gaps decisively if the Q4 is to regain ground with shoppers who regularly carry passengers in the back.
Audi Q4 e-tron, Q4 Sportback e-tron, IIHS crash test, poor safety rating, rear-passenger safety, seat belt shift, weak headlights, nighttime AEB, VW ID.4 comparison, Top Safety Pick, EV crossover, 2026 update
2025
Michael Powers
news
Audi Q4 e-tron earns poor IIHS rating for rear-seat safety
IIHS gives the Audi Q4 e-tron a poor rating, citing rear-passenger injury risk, weak headlights, and limited nighttime AEB. See how it stacks up to VW ID.4.
Michael Powers, Editor
The U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has run its updated moderate-overlap crash test, and the Audi Q4 e-tron along with the Q4 Sportback e-tron fell well short. Both electric crossovers received a poor rating and were removed from consideration for a Top Safety Pick.
IIHS pointed to elevated chest injury risk for rear passengers as the key reason, along with seat belts that, during impact, shifted from the hips to the abdomen, raising the likelihood of internal injuries. While head and neck protection was deemed acceptable, the overall safety of the back seat proved insufficient. In today’s protocol, rear-occupant protection is a decisive metric, and the Q4 duo comes up short where families expect strength.
The institute also highlighted weak headlight performance and limited effectiveness of the automatic emergency braking at night. In a nighttime test at 60 km/h, the system cut speed by only 34 km/h, which was not enough to avoid striking a pedestrian. That kind of result underlines how crucial nighttime performance has become as real-world scenarios drive safety ratings.
It’s a reputational setback for Audi, especially next to the more affordable Volkswagen ID.4, built on the same platform and enjoying stronger sales. In the U.S., over the first nine months of 2025, just 6,667 Q4 e-tron units were sold versus 22,125 ID.4s—a comparison that makes the shortfall harder to ignore.
Audi plans to update the model in 2026 with improvements to safety and equipment. After this test, though, buyer confidence will need rebuilding—despite a starting price of $50,600 and a range of up to 463 km. The refresh will have to address these gaps decisively if the Q4 is to regain ground with shoppers who regularly carry passengers in the back.
