Six awards for new models and perennial favourites in 2012 British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards

Audi wins six category awards in British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards, presented by the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre, Thatcham on Thursday October 11
Theft resistance of new Q3 compact SUV recognised with an award for the first time - A1 premium sub-compact, new generation A4 and A5 Cabriolet ranges, Q5 SUV and A8 L W12 saloon also honoured

Six Audi models have today been the recipients of coveted category trophies in the British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards, held at the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre in Thatcham, Berkshire.

As usual the judges used the New Vehicle Security Assessment (NVSA) process to assign NVSR star ratings to vehicles based on ‘theft of’ and ‘theft from’ protection. The new Q3 compact SUV has undergone the process for the first time this year, and has come through with flying colours, achieving the top rating in the compact SUV category. The four other winners were already members of the Thatcham hall of fame and have remained at the top of their game – they include the A1 premium subcompact, the A4 compact executive, the A5 Cabriolet, the Q5 mid-size SUV and the A8 L W12 high performance luxury saloon.

Commenting on this seventh run of success for Audi, Director of Audi UK Martin Sander said: “I’m delighted to see so many Audi ranges emerging from the rigorous Thatcham judging process with top marks – in most cases our cars are second only to our homes in terms of the investment we make in them, and these awards prove that Audi takes the same absolutely uncompromising approach to protection of that investment as it does to every other aspect of vehicle development.”

Peter Shaw, Chief Executive of Thatcham, also added his take on proceedings: “Audi has regularly featured among the top performers at the vehicle security awards and with six separate category winners in 2012, this year is no exception. Audi has once again demonstrated an unswerving commitment to keeping its customers safe and secure, no matter what class of vehicle they drive.”

Since the awards began in 2006, the Vorsprung durch Technik brand has secured no less than 26 BIVSA category wins, bearing testament to its absolute commitment to security.

This remarkable success has been achieved with the help of features including Thatcham Category 1 alarm and immobiliser technology with interior ultrasonic protection and anti-tow sensors, Thatcham Category 4 locking wheel bolts and extensive covert and overt marked parts. These not only bring peace-of-mind for Audi customers, but also help to drive down running costs by reducing insurance premiums.

Picture caption

Six Audis steal the BIVSA limelight – The Q3 SUV underwent the tough Thatcham security test regime for the first time this year, and along with the A1, the A4, the A5 Cabriolet, the Q5 and the A8 L W12 scored top marks in the theft of and theft from security categories.

The winning Audi models

City car / supermini – Audi A1

Compact executive car – Audi A4

Open-top car – Audi A5 Cabriolet

Performance car – Audi A8 L W12

Crossover – Audi Q3

Compact 4x4 – Audi Q5

Thatcham - Thatcham is one of Europe's leading authorities in the field of vehicle security. Its experts have been assessing the theft protection standards of vehicles for over ten years and use New Vehicle Security Ratings (NVSR) - a star rating system - to reflect a vehicle's standard of theft protection. Motorists can access all the British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards results and check New Vehicle Security Ratings by visiting Thatcham Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre.

Audi- In 2011 Audi recorded its best ever worldwide result of 1,302,650 sales, a 19 per cent improvement over 2010. In the UK, 113,703 Audi models found homes last year, a 14 per cent increase on 2010. To sustain the technological lead embodied in its Vorsprung durch Technik slogan, the brand plans to invest €13 billion, mainly in new products, between 2011 and 2015. By this point, its range will have expanded from today’s 39 models to a total of 42. Recent additions, including the A1 Sportback, the all-new A3 and the new generation A4 and A5 ranges, will be joined imminently by, among others, the RS 4 Avant, the A6 allroad and the R8 e-tron, the first fully electric series-production Audi model. On the race circuit, Audi has competed in the Le Mans 24 Hour sportscar endurance race 14 times since 1999, achieving a podium finish on all of these occasions as well as outright victory 11 times. In 2012, Audi made history at Le Mans by winning with pioneering hybrid diesel technology used in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro.