British Insurance Car Security Award: Double Distinction for Audi

British vehicle insurers have commended the Audi A3 and Audi A8 for their outstanding theft protection by granting them the “British Car Security Award”. This award has been made in a total of ten categories, with Audi coming out on top in two of them. The award is based on the ratings of the independent British vehicle security test and research institute Thatcham.

The winner in the compact class is the Audi A3: it established the benchmark in this segment in achieving five stars for vehicle theft protection and four stars for burglary protection. The Audi A8 went one better in earning the top rating of five stars for both vehicle theft protection and burglary protection, and was consequently the clear winner in the “Luxury Class” category.

Thatcham is one of Europe’s leading institutes for theft protection. The British experts have been assessing the theft protection standards of vehicles for over ten years and award up to five stars to reflect a vehicle’s standard of theft protection. The combined effect of the theft protection measures in the Audi A3 and Audi A8 is to make them the best in their respective categories. Ultramodern security technologies have been realised in them.

The protective effect of the doors, a particularly sturdy steering lock – which is electronic on the A8 – and a fourth-generation immobiliser with “download function” play a key role.

This download function provides additional theft protection further down the line: all Audi dealers worldwide are networked; repair work can only be carried out once online authorisation has been obtained. This controlled and therefore extra-secure handling of the process creates an added deterrent to thieves, making the vehicles a less attractive target.

Receiving the “British Insurance Car Security Award” is a major coup for Audi: experts in vehicle electronics, mechanics and servicing are working closely and on a cross-disciplinary basis with crime investigation authorities, motor vehicle insurers and independent research institutes in an effort to improve standards of theft protection.