Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring/Summer 2019 | Page 9

SUBARU 360°
SUBARU 360°
The Brand with the
Most Top Safety Picks
In December 2018, the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety (IIHS) announced its Top Safety Picks for 2019 model
year vehicles. In the final analysis, only 33 vehicles earned
the prestigious Top Safety Pick+ designation—and eight
of those 33 were Subaru models. (All of the vehicles tested
were equipped with the EyeSight® Driver-Assist Technology
system and optional headlights.) Pick or better. Another wildly popular model, the Subaru
Crosstrek, is a Top Safety Pick+ for 2019—and has been a
Top Safety Pick or better every year it’s been in existence
(2012-19). Another vehicle to make a similar claim is the
Subaru Ascent: This mid-size SUV was a Top Safety Pick+
award-winner in its debut year in 2018 and has repeated
that result for this year.
This total gives Subaru more Top Safety Picks than any
other brand in any segment, a remarkably strong statement
on safety. In addition, most of the Subaru vehicles on this
esteemed list have been Top Safety Picks for years, further
emphasizing a focus on improving standards year after year. The last of the eight models to achieve a Top Safety Pick+
for 2019 is the Subaru WRX; this engaging sports car has
now secured a Top Safety Pick or better for the past three
years running (2017-19).
Of all the vehicles earning a Top Safety Pick+ designation
for 2019, the Subaru Legacy is the most familiar. For an
incredible 14 years in a row (2006-19), this class-leading
sedan has been a Top Safety Pick or better. Two more models
that earned the very strongest result, the all-new Subaru
Forester and the Subaru Impreza, are on serious winning
streaks of their own. The Forester has been a Top Safety
Pick or better for 13 consecutive years (2007-19), while the
Impreza has achieved this same designation for 12 years in
a row (2008-19).
In other safety-related news, the Forester has also scored
remarkably well in a new pedestrian crash prevention test
conducted by the IIHS. This new test focuses on vehicles
equipped with automatic emergency braking systems that
can warn drivers of pedestrians that appear suddenly in the
road ahead and/or help take preventative action.
The other Subaru vehicles announced as Top Safety Pick+
winners are noteworthy in their own right. Coming out of the test, the Forester equipped with Subaru
EyeSight was one of only four vehicles to earn a Superior
rating, the best result possible. A separate study by the
Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) confirmed that the
second-generation EyeSight system reduced the rate of likely
pedestrian-related insurance claims by 41 percent compared
to vehicles without a similar advanced safety system.
The Subaru Outback extended its run of positive
results: It is now on 11 consecutive years as a Top Safety For Subaru, the quest to engineer more confidence in
motion continues…
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