2012 VW Passat, Audi A6 earn IIHS 'Top Safety Pick'

Two redesigned sedans from the Volkswagen group -- the 2012 VW Passat mainstream, midsize sedan and the 2012 Audi A6 large luxury car -- have earned the coveted "Top Safety Pick" rating in testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the insurance industry's research group.

To get the rating, they had to get the top score of "good" in IIHS front, side, rear and rollover crash tests, some of which are more stringent than the government crash tests.

TEST DRIVE here: The 2012 Passat is an interesting, satisfying new alternative in the Accord-Camry universe.

Neither car has been tested by the government, yet, so they haven''t gotten their ratings on the feds' star system.

To get a "good" in the stricter IIHS rollover test, vehicles must withstand force of at least 4 times their weight without failing (the feds require just a 1.5 ratio). The Passat scored an impressive 6.3 times its weight. The heftier A6 scored 4.9 times its weight.

The old Passat was also was a top pick, though the new one proved to be even sturdier on the roof test. The A6 moved up -- the old model missed top pick status because it fell short, with a 3.8 force-to-weight ratio on the roof test.

The IIHS has, in the past, also required stability control to get the top rating, but as of Sept. 1, government safety rules require all new cars to have ESC.