The Subaru WRX, Ascent, And Solterra Stand Out Where It Matters Most
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While Volvo is most associated with safety and superior crash protection, Subaru is also known for building supremely safe vehicles. This reputation has been strengthened by the all-electric Solterra and WRX, which have received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) top honors.
The Solterra – which is closely related to the Lexus RZ and Toyota bZ4X – has driven off with the Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) award for the second consecutive year, alongside the aging Ascent which nets the accolade for the fourth year in a row.
Ascent And Solterra Are Among The Safest Cars Money Can Buy
For the most part, the Ascent and Solterra received a rating of ‘Good’ in most categories, with exceptions being the ‘Moderate overlap front: updated test’ and ‘Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics’ categories, respectively. In both evaluations, the Ascent and Solterra received a rating of ‘Acceptable.’
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In the case of the Solterra, the IIHS notes that “the dummy’s head maintained only partial engagement with the frontal airbag, moving into the gap between the frontal and side curtain airbags and leaving the head vulnerable to contact with forward structure.” While the Solterra and Ascent are the star performers in the Subaru lineup, these aren’t the only models awarded in the latest safety testing.
Other Subaru Models Walk Off With The TSP Award
Elsewhere, the Outback, Impreza, and the performance-oriented WRX clinched the Top Safety Pick award for MY2024. This is the 16th consecutive year that the Outback has received the enviable award and the 17th time the Impreza has walked off with the honor.
It’s worth noting that other automakers have also received multiple IIHS awards for crash-worthiness. Earlier this year, Hyundai announced that nine of its models were honored by the safety institute, with the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and Kona getting the TSP+ trophy. The IIHS has made things tougher than ever, with even stricter crash evaluations aimed at improving rear-passenger and pedestrian safety.
