The all-new 2019 Subaru Ascent has earned the Top Safety Pick+ rating for 2018 from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It joins the five other 2019 model-year vehicles so designated by the American organization so far this year.
The Ascent did well across the board in the crash resistance and frontal crash prevention tests, earning the highest possible score. In the first category, it received the best possible Good rating in all six resistance tests carried out by the IIHS: small overlap front driver’s side, small overlap front passenger’s side, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints and seats.
The model also earned the best possible score, Superior this time, in front crash prevention testing, giving it a Top Safety Pick+ rating overall.
However, keep in mind that all of this only applies to models equipped with the available bending (or directional) LED headlights. In the case of the base and Premium trims with their halogen headlights, the Ascent did no better than earn a Poor score.
The 2019 Ascent is equipped with the EyeSight suite of drive assist systems, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, pre-collision braking and pre-collision acceleration management, among others. A backup camera is included standard.
Available add-ons include Subaru’s system for rear and side vehicle detection that includes blind spot warning, lane change assist, rear transversal traffic warning and automatic reverse braking, as well as a front camera and an intelligent inside rearview mirror.
The current Subaru lineup includes seven models that have earned the IIHS’s highest safety rating – an impressive achievement. They include the Impreza sedan and Impreza 5-door, the Legacy, the WRX, the Crosstrek, the Forester, the Outback and now the Ascent. All but the last one are 2018 models, and in all cases, they earn the rating when equipped with the EyeSight system and with the available headlights instead of the standard ones.
La gamme actuelle de Subaru compte sept modèles lauréats de la cote Premier Choix Sécurité+, dont la berline Impreza et l'Impreza cinq portes, la Legacy, la WRX, la Crosstrek, l'Outback et maintenant l'Ascent - toutes lorsqu'elles sont équipées du système EyeSight et de phares spécifiques.
As for the new 2019 Forester? It has yet to be tested by the IIHS.
Check out our analysis of the 4 reasons you should buy a 2019 Subaru Ascent...and the 3 reasons you should hesitate!