Subaru Impreza Gains A 5-Star Rating

Media Release

Friday 31 August 2007

Subaru Impreza Gains A 5-Star Rating

Subaru’s new Impreza has gained a 5-star rating in the latest test from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

Announcing the latest crash test result, the AA and Land Transport New Zealand congratulated Subaru for providing a complete five-star fleet for the New Zealand market.

ANCAP also awarded the Subaru Impreza a 4-star pedestrian impact test rating – the maximum available for pedestrian protection. This is the first vehicle to be awarded top marks for both passenger and pedestrian protection under ANCAP testing – showing that the injury risk to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users can be reduced.

“It’s exciting to have another affordable car, suitable for a wide range of motorists and packed with safety features, available on the New Zealand market. Subaru needs to be congratulated for their commitment to improving vehicle safety,“ says Stella Stocks, General Manager of AA Technical Services.

The new Impreza provides a wide range of the latest safety technologies, including electronic stability control (ESC) and head protecting side airbags for driver and passengers.

The Impreza joins a number of other popular New Zealand models scoring five stars for occupant protection in recent ANCAP tests, including the Ford Focus, Holden Astra, Volvo C30, Citroen C4, Fiat Punto, Toyota Corolla, Renault Megane and Clio, Peugeot 207, and the Mini Cooper.

Land Transport NZ Safer Vehicles Manager, Don Hutchinson, says another five star result was good news for New Zealand motorists.

“Manufacturers have significantly improved the level of protection their vehicles provide to occupants in a crash, and car buyers can now choose from a wide variety of vehicles with state of the art safety features, including many with a maximum five-star safety rating.”

Mr Hutchinson also said it was significant that the Impreza had achieved the maximum score for pedestrian safety and passenger protection.

“This proves you don’t have to put other road users at risk to protect those inside the vehicle.”

In ANCAP's frontal impact crash test at 64km per hour, the Impreza compartment proved to be very strong, reducing the potential for injury to occupants in real-world crashes. The Impreza also achieved high scores in the separate side impact and side pole crash tests.

ANCAP crash tests new vehicles, awards them a comparative star rating and publicises the results to inform new car buyers.

ANCAP’s stakeholders include the New Zealand Automobile Association, the New Zealand government, all Australian state governments, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission, the Insurance Australia Group and the FIA Foundation.

For a full list of ANCAP’s vehicle safety ratings and other vehicle safety information, go to www.aa.co.nz or www.landtransport.govt.nz

ENDS

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