A new midsize SUV from Subaru earns the highest award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety when equipped with good-rated LED headlights.
The 2019 Ascent is the seventh Subaru vehicle to earn the 2018 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award. The company also has one vehicle earning a TOP SAFETY PICK without the “plus.”
To qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK+, a vehicle must have good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as an acceptable or good rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test. It also must have a front crash prevention system that earns an advanced or superior rating and good-rated headlights.
The Ascent earns good crashworthiness ratings across the board and comes with standard, superior-rated front crash prevention. In IIHS track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph, the Ascent avoided collisions. The system also has a forward collision warning component that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria.
The LED headlights that come on the Limited and Touring trims earn a good rating. The SUV’s base halogen headlights are rated poor. The low beams provide inadequate visibility and also create excessive glare for drivers of oncoming vehicles.
SOURCE: IIHS
