The Q5’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.
The Q5 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.
Both the Q5 and the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q5 is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid:
|
Q5 |
Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
187 |
244 |
Neck Compression |
30 lbs. |
89 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
90/55 lbs. |
222/167 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi Q5 is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid:
|
Q5 |
Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
60 |
61 |
Chest Movement |
.6 inches |
1.1 inches |
Abdominal Force |
98 lbs. |
164 lbs. |
Hip Force |
279 lbs. |
415 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Spine Acceleration |
53 G’s |
54 G’s |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
219 |
376 |
Spine Acceleration |
35 G’s |
44 G’s |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q5 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 98 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has not been fully tested, yet.