The all-new Subaru WRX STI has been awarded ‘Top Safety Pick’ status by the USA’s Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS). The accolade is the highest possible vehicle safety ranking awarded by the IIHS, a non-profit organisation which is supported by car insurers in the USA.
Subjected to five different types of IIHS crash test designed to evaluate occupant protection in the event of a collision, the new Subaru WRX STI earned the top rating of ‘Good’ in all categories, thereby fulfilling the criteria required of any ‘Top Safety Pick’.
The IIHS crash tests include high-speed front and side crash tests, a rollover test, and evaluations of seat and head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts.
The organisation also conducts the demanding ‘small overlap front test’, a crash that replicates what happens when the front corner of a car collides with another vehicle or an object like a tree or pylon. In the test, 25 percent of a car’s front end on the driver side strikes a rigid barrier at 40mph.
Subaru has a history of success in the IIHS crash safety tests, with other models – including the Outback and XV, both currently on sale in the UK – also named as ‘Top Safety Picks’ by the organisation.
The new Subaru WRX STI bears the hallmarks that have made its predecessors so effective on road and track, including the brand’s renowned Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. A stiffer body shell and advanced powertrain management system endow the car with the highest standards of active and passive safety performance.
The new Subaru WRX STI goes on sale in the UK this month priced from £28,995 (on-the-road).
