A Grand Prix for Forester

The Japanese-spec all-new Subaru Forester recently won the Grand Prix award after earning five stars, the highest score in the Japan New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP) collision safety performance assessment.

Conducted by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the National Agency for Automotive Safety and Victim’s Aid, the
JNCAP annually revises its testing methods and assessment standards meticulously, taking into account actual traffic accidents that have occurred in Japan and the importance of establishing countermeasures.

The all-new Forester also received Advanced Safety Vehicle Triple Plus (ASV +++) rating, the highest rating in the 2018-2019 JNCAP preventive safety performance assessment.

The 2018-2019 Grand Prix Award in JNCAP collision safety performance assessment marks the second time for Subaru, after it won the same award for its Impreza and SUBARU XV in the 2016- 2017 assessment.

In a statement, Subaru stresses that winning these safety awards reflects company’s commitment to its all-around safety principle.

New platform

In the case Of the all-new Forester, the SUV already employs the Subaru Global Platform, a new common architecture employed in many Subaru vehicles. The platform enhances passenger protection, thanks to an improved energy absorption features when compared to previous generation of the model.

Combined with the optimized body structure and proper layout of high-tensile steels, the all-new Forester improves passenger protection for frontal, side and rear-end impacts with minimal weight increase.

Forester also employs pedestrian protection airbag as standard equipment. A pressure sensor inside the front bumper determines whether the vehicle has collided with a pedestrian, and the airbag covers the wipers and the bottom of the front pillars right after the collision is detected to reduce the impact on the pedestrian’s head.

Subaru reiterates that it will continue to enhance its primary, active, passive, and pre-crash safety technologies under its “all-around safety” principle, which underpins enjoyment and peace of mind for all drivers and passengers, and target to eliminate traffic accident deaths by 2030.