Volkswagen Retains Top Accolade In BIVSA Security Awards

MILTON KEYNES, UNITED KINGDOM – June 16, 2011: Volkswagen has once again claimed a number of category titles as well as the overall top accolade for the second consecutive year for the best car manufacturer at the British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards (BIVSA), presented today by Thatcham, the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre, in Berkshire.

The new Sharan, which went on sale at the end of last year, was the winner of the Large MPV class; the Tiguan once again triumphed in the Crossover class; and the Phaeton took the title of best Luxury Car for the fourth time since the awards were introduced eight years ago. Volkswagen’s Commercial Vehicles also fared well, with the Caddy winning the Light Van category and the recently-launched Amarok being named the most secure Pick Up LCV.

Volkswagen UK was also crowned overall Manufacturer of the Year in the car section for the second year running.

Commenting on the awards, Mike Briggs, Vehicle Security Manager at Thatcham, said: ‘Volkswagen UK continues to push for supremacy within the British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards and should be commended for its tenacity in devising security solutions to design out crime and make its vehicles more secure. It’s a tremendous achievement to win the overall car manufacturer award for two years running and Volkswagen UK should be justifiably proud of its achievements.’

The British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards are hosted by Thatcham and supported by the Home Office, the DfT, What Car? and the AA. This is the eighth time the BIVSA awards have been held, and since their launch in 2004 they have recognised all that’s best in vehicle security, on the newest cars and vans on the market, applauding the work of vehicle manufacturers and raising consumer awareness.

Vehicles were judged on a number of criteria identified by the creators of the New Vehicle Security Ratings (NVSR) scheme. Those that had a maximum five stars for ‘theft from’, had double locking, and an ‘E’ insurance suffix (indicating they had a feature that exceeds the required standard) were shortlisted for final evaluation and ranking.

Franco Iannotta, Insurance Ratings and Vehicle Security Manager for the Volkswagen Group UK said: ‘The Volkswagen Group is delighted to have had another successful year at the BIVSA awards. We strive constantly to enhance our products and ensure they provide the level of safety and security that our customers expect and deserve. These awards prove once again that this work is paying off and we will continue to focus our efforts in this important area in years to come.’