Subaru BRZ Awarded 2014 "IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK (TSP)"
– Subaru's seventh model that has earned 2014 safety award from IIHS –
Tokyo, July 31, 2014 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, today announced that the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS; a nonprofit organization supported by auto insurers in the US) has awarded the 2014 TOP SAFETY PICK (TSP) to the Subaru BRZ (built after Dec. 2013) currently sold in the North American region. In addition to the Subaru BRZ, 2014 Impreza, 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek and 2015 WRX earned a 2014 TSP rating. 2014 Legacy, 2014 Outback, and 2014 / 2015 Forester also earned a 2014 TSP + rating when equipped with optional Eyesight.
Developed with the "Pure Handling Delight" concept, the Subaru BRZ delivers exceptional handling performance enabled by the ultra-low center of gravity packaging with Subaru's Horizontally-Opposed Boxer engine mounted as low as possible. The front engine, rear-wheel drive sports car has been received with great enthusiasms and won accolades worldwide.
To win Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must have "Good" ratings in all four tests of high-speed front and side crash tests, a rollover test, and evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. In addition, "Good" or "Acceptable" performance in a small overlap front test introduced in 2012 is also required. The small overlap test is a demanding crash that replicates what happens when the front corner of a car collides with another vehicle or an object like a tree or utility pole. In the test, 25 percent of a car's front end on the driver side strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph.
FHI aims to offer "Enjoyment and Peace of Mind" through the Subaru experience, its brand statement "Confidence in Motion" at the foundation. "Enjoyment and Peace of Mind" is not possible without the crucial element of "safety". Subaru will pursue all-around safety by continuing to advance its active, passive and pre-crash safety technologies.
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