Subaru Canada: 2014 Forester aces tough new test to earn 2013 TSP+

• Redesigned Subaru Forester aces tough new crash test from IIHS and achieves TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation for safety performance.
• Subaru Forester is the only small SUV to earn overall rating of "Good."

MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 17, 2013 /CNW/ - Subaru Canada, Inc. is thrilled to announce that the 2014 Subaru Forester is the first vehicle to ace every aspect of the challenging small overlap front crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Forester is the only one of 13 small SUVs tested to earn an overall rating of "Good" in the test, netting the Institute's recently inaugurated top honour TOP SAFETY PICK+.

"With the redesigned Forester, Subaru's engineers set out to do well in our new test and they succeeded," said Joe Nolan, the Institute's vice president for vehicle research. "This is exactly how we hoped manufacturers would respond to improve protection for people in these kinds of serious frontal crashes."

"Safety performance drives us as we aim to inspire confidence and peace of mind on every road in all conditions," said Shiro Ohta, president and CEO of Subaru Canada, Inc. "Being the only one of 13 small SUVs to ace every aspect of the IIHS's challenging new test and achieve optimal safety ratings is a testament to the emphasis we have always placed on safety."

This is not the first time that the Forester has stood out in a new IIHS crash test. When the Institute first rated small SUVs for side protection in 2003, the Subaru model performed the best and was one of only two to earn good ratings.

IIHS added the small overlap test to its lineup of vehicle safety evaluations last year. Most vehicles today are designed to do well in the government's full-width front crash test and in the Institute's moderate overlap front test, but that is no guarantee of good performance in a small overlap crash. In a 2009 IIHS study of vehicles with good ratings for frontal crash protection, small overlap crashes accounted for nearly a quarter of the frontal crashes involving serious or fatal injury to front seat occupants.

The Forester helps bring the number of TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners to 20. The award is based on performance in the small overlap front test as well as in the moderate overlap front, side, rollover and rear tests. To qualify, a vehicle must earn good ratings in four of the five tests and no less than acceptable in the fifth.

This award builds on Subaru's safety reputation and is the first IIHS designation for 2014 model year Subaru vehicles.  Subaru is the only manufacturer with 2013 IIHS Top Safety Pick for all models and the only brand with IIHS Top Safety Picks for all models for four years running (2010-2013). The 2014 Forester is the third Subaru vehicle to earn the TSP+ award.  The 2013 Subaru Legacy and Subaru Outback (built after August 2012) were awarded the Institute's 2013 TSP+ designation in late 2012.  The award requires a "Good" or "Acceptable" rating in the Institute's new small overlap frontal crash test in addition to meeting the base "TSP" award criteria.

About IIHS

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses - deaths, injuries and property damage - from crashes on the nation's roads.

About Subaru Canada, Inc.

Subaru Canada, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of over 85 authorized dealers across Canada.

SOURCE: Subaru Canada Inc.

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