Tough Luxe

Two large luxury cars, the 2005 model Audi A6 and 2006 Infiniti M35,
have received top ratings in crash tests conducted by a vehicle
safety watchdog group with links to the insurance industry.

The Audi A6 from Volkswagen AG's luxury division got "good" ratings
and "best pick" designations for its performance in both front- and
side-impact tests, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety

It said the Infiniti M35, from Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., also earned good
ratings in both tests but a "best pick" designation only for its crashworthiness in the front-impact test.

In the side-impact test there were indications that the driver of
an M35 could sustain torso injuries and the structural performance
of the vehicle was deemed "acceptable" but not "good," the Insurance
Institute said.

The 31-mile-per-hour side-impact test simulates a real-world crash in
which a pickup truck or sport utility vehicle runs a red light or stop
sign and plows into the side of a car.

The Institute's so-called offset frontal test measures how well a vehicle
can absorb the impact of a crash when 40 percent of its front end strikes
a barrier at 40 miles per hour.

Tests on the A6 and M35 were conducted with both equipped with standard
front and rear head curtain airbags and front seat-mounted torso airbags.