Subaru Forester Is a `Best Pick' Among Small SUVs In Insurance Institute
Crash Tests
CHERRY HILL, N.J.,
July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2003 model year Subaru Forester has earned
the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) highest rating (good)
in the most recent series of frontal offset crash tests. The Institute
also distinguished Forester with its coveted "best pick" designation.
In fact, of four new or redesigned sport-utility vehicles, Subaru Forester
is the only vehicle to achieve the IIHS' highest rating in both the
5 m.p.h. bumper and 40 m.p.h. frontal offset tests.
"The very good
performance of the new Subaru Forester in the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety's high- and low-speed crash tests demonstrates Subaru's
commitment to designing vehicles that set exemplary standards for both
safety and damageability," said IIHS President Brian O'Neill.
The Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety's ratings reflect performance in a 40 m.p.h. frontal
offset crash test into a deformable barrier. Based on the results of
this test, the Institute evaluates the crashworthiness of passenger
vehicles, assigning each vehicle a rating of good, acceptable, marginal
or poor. The Institute's frontal offset test is especially demanding
of a vehicle's structure, as a relatively small area of the vehicle's
front- end architecture is required to manage the crash energy. This
is the second consecutive "good" rating for Forester, now
in its second generation.
"The Institute's
findings reinforce our dedication to building safe vehicles," said
T.K. Saito, chairman, president and CEO, Subaru of America, Inc. "We
are proud to say that the full line of Subaru all-wheel drive vehicles
tested by the IIHS - including the 2003 Forester, Legacy and Impreza
- have earned the Institute's highest rating as well the `best pick'
distinction."
Completely redesigned
for the 2003 model year, Forester models include numerous standard safety
features including a dual-stage deployment passenger front airbag, standard
front seat head/chest side-impact airbags, standard active front seat
head restraints and front seatbelts with pretensioners and force limiters.
Front and rear crumple-zone body construction absorbs impact energy
to help protect the reinforced passenger compartment, while the Subaru-
designed Ring-Shaped Reinforcement Frame ties together the side sills,
center pillars and roof supports for added rigidity. All 2003 Forester
models benefit a standard four-channel, four-sensor anti-lock braking
system (ABS) for more confident, controlled stopping power.
For additional information
about the 2003 Forester lineup and other all- wheel drive Subaru vehicles,
visit our web site at www.Subaru.com. For images and media information,
please access our online newsroom at www.media.subaru.com.
About Subaru of
America, Inc.
Subaru of America,
Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan.
Subaru pioneered the concept of the passenger car/sport-utility vehicle
with the introduction of Subaru Outback, the "World's First Sport-Utility
Wagon®."
Headquartered near
Philadelphia, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts
and accessories through a network of nearly 600 dealers across the United
States. Over the past nine years, the company has achieved year-over-year
sales increases thanks to its popular line of all-wheel drive vehicles.
Contact: Rob Moran
Subaru of America, Inc.
(856)488-3326
rmoran@subaru.com
SOURCE: Subaru of
America, Inc.
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