New models top for safety
Subaru’s all-new 2015 Outback, Legacy and Impreza have gained top safety ratings from four different organisations across four continents. The Outback, which is equipped with Eyesight technology, has gained a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. It goes on sale in New Zealand in February. Euro NCAP evaluates adult and child occupant protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist. In its revised system, Euro NCAP has increased points for safety assist. In addition to occupant and pedest rian protection, the all-new Outback’s safety assist was rated as good because of EyeSight. This is the fourth time the marque has landed five stars following the 2009 rating for its Legacy, 2011 rating for the Subaru XV and for the Forester in 2012. The Eyesight-equipped 2015 Outback and Legacy have been awarded the top Japan NCAP advanced safety vehicle plus (ASV+) rating in preventive safety performance assessment. A maximum of 40 rating points are awarded for reducing accidents resulting in death or serious injury based on the types of crashes in Japan. The Outback and Legacy secured the maximum 40. Following the ratings for the Forester on 39.9 points and Subaru XV on 39.3 in October, all Subarus evaluated have been awarded ASV+. The preventive safety performance assessment took place for the first time this year, and was prompted by increasing demand for safe vehicles in recent years leading to more cars being equipped with systems, such as automatic brakes. The assessment involves testing autonomous emergency braking and lane-departure warning. In North America, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the latest Impreza a top safety pick plus (TSP+) rating. With seven models that have earned 2014 safety awards from the IIHS, Subaru has more 2014 top picks than any other brand. The Impreza also gained the highest possible rating of superior for front-crash prevention when equipped with Subaru’s driver-assist technology. By adopting EyeSight for the 2015 model, it earned six out of six for front-crash prevention. EyeSight was the first system to use only stereo-camera technology to detect objects such as vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists in front of vehicles. Since its Japanese debut in May 2008, its features include pre-collision braking control and all-speed range adaptive cruise-control tracking. The new EyeSight system incorporates revamped cameras that increase the viewing angle and range by about 40 per cent. To win top safety pick, a vehicle must have good ratings in all four tests – high-speed front and side-crash, rollover, and evaluations of seat and head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. A small overlap front test introduced in 2012 is also required. The 2015 Impreza earned the highest possible rating of good in these five IIHS evaluations for occupant protection. The 2015 Legacy and Outback have also earned five-star safety ratings from ANCAP.
