The Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the new Subaru Forester with the Top Safety Pick (TSP) award. Having been also awarded a five-star safety rating from the Australian ANCAP as well as the Euro NCAP, the new Subaru Forester is regarded as one of the safest SUVs on our roads.

Subaru Forester is big on safety

The Institute’s 2013 TSP+ award requires ‘good’ ratings for occupant protection in at least four of five IIHS evaluations, with no less than “acceptable” in the fifth test. The new Subaru Forester underwent four of five of these evaluations including rollover testing, head restraint effectiveness and occupant protection. Subaru is the manufacturer which has a Top Safety Pick winner for each model across its entire range.

Some notable safety features all of which are standard across the range, even in the entry-level Forester 2.0 X include Subaru’s Ring-Shaped Reinforcement, a reversing camera, Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC), seven airbags and a collapsible brake pedal and steering column. There is also ISOFIX child seat mounts with tether anchors, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Limited Slip Device (LSD) and Brake Assist (BA).

Subaru has been recognized by IIHS for four consecutive years as the only automotive manufacturer with a Top Safety Pick (TSP) winner in its entire line-up models—Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, Subaru Forester, Subaru Tribeca, Subaru Impreza, Subaru XV Crosstrek and Subaru BRZ.

“The Subaru ‘experience’ aims to ensure that enjoyment and peace of mind are offered by our products at all times, giving purpose to our brand slogan, ‘Confidence in Motion’. This cannot be achieved without the crucial element of safety and with its impressive Top Safety Pick+ win in America, the new Subaru Forester continues to impress in all facets. The Forester is now the most award-winning SUV, out-performing thirteen other brand new compact SUV competitors and being the only SUV to receive a top-level ‘Good’ score in this IIHS test, and for that we are extremely honoured,” said Ashley Lazarus, Marketing Manager at Subaru Southern Africa.

In addition, IIHS introduced the small overlap test in 2012 to further improve occupant protection in frontal crashes. The small overlap test is a demanding crash which replicates what happens when the front corner of a car collides with another vehicle or an object like a tree or utility pole.