Since 2013, Subaru has received a cumulative total of 69 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards, more than any other brand on the market, and has recently added another safety win to its impressive record. The 2023 Subaru Ascent has just received the highest possible rating in the IIHS moderate overlap front crash test. This newer and tougher moderate impact front crash test was introduced as part of the IIHS’s efforts to encourage safety improvements for rear seat passengers, something previously neglected by testing groups and automakers alike.
13 midsize SUVs have gone through this updated test, including the 2023 Subaru Ascent. In the test, a Hybrid III dummy representing a small woman or 12-year-old child sits in the second row behind the driver. This dummy uses specific metrics that focus on the types of injuries most frequently seen in rear-seat occupants in car crashes. The dummy uses sensors to record “injuries”. In order for a vehicle to receive the highest possible rating of “Good”, the sensor readings must not exceed certain limits that indicate an excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest, abdomen or thigh. Additionally, the dummy’s head can’t hit any part of the vehicle interior, including the front seatback, and the dummy’s body must be prevented from “submarining,” or sliding forward beneath the lap belt. Video footage from inside the car helps to provide these results, as well as greasepaint applied to the dummy’s head to indicate any impacts.
The Ascent was one of only four vehicles in the group to earn the highest possible rating, a testament to the vehicle’s impressive safety. The Ascent has been an IIHS Top Safety Pick for six consecutive years since 2018, and has also been awarded the Top Safety Pick+ award from 2021 to 2023.
“We are thrilled that another one of our Subaru models received the highest possible rating in this new tougher test,” said Thomas J. Doll, President and Chief Executive Officer, Subaru of America, Inc. “Our top priority with Ascent, and all our models, is to provide customers with vehicles meeting the highest standards in safety.”
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