The Volkswagen Routan has earned the TOP SAFETY PICK rating of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the American non-profit organisation for science and research. It is the ninth VW already to receive the coveted award. Thus the Volkswagen brand leads the field in the American auto industry. 

“The Routan’s performance demonstrates Volkswagen's lasting commitment to safety,” said Institute president Adrian Lund. “Vehicles earning the TOP SAFETY PICK afford the best overall protection in the most common accident situations.” 

“We’re delighted that the Routan has been given this prestigious award. We are even more delighted that Volkswagen now leads the American automotive industry with nine TOP SAFETY PICKS,” said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. “This is the reward for all the hard work we continually put in the development of new technologies for our cars.” 

Other 2011 Volkswagen models to have received the TOP SAFETY PICK Award before are: Jetta, Jetta SportWagen (offered in Europe as Golf Variant), CC, Passat, Tiguan, Touareg, Golf and Golf GTI.

In the annual IIHS crash-test series, front, side and rear crashes are simulated so as to find out which vehicle affords the best protection to its passengers. The roof-strength test evaluation is a new requirement. In addition, the Institute only rates autos that are fitted with head-thorax airbags and the electronic stabilisation programme, ESP.