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The 2022 Subaru Forester Finally Earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Score

Subaru has been waiting for the 2022 Forester safety score from the IIHS. The compact SUV finally earns the top score. See what it means for customers.

The newly-refreshed 2022 Subaru Forester had to wait, but the compact SUV finally earned the Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In February, the IIHS revealed the Subaru top safety award winners, and the 2022 Forester was not on the list.

The 2022 Subaru Outback, Crosstrek Hybrid, Ascent, and Legacy earned the highest Top Safety Pick+ award. The 2022 Subaru Crosstrek and Impreza earned Top Safety Pick awards.

2022 Subaru Forester features, specs, safety technology
photo credit: Patrick Subaru

Why did it take so long for Forester to be announced?

It’s likely due to not having the newly-refreshed Forester available for the IIHS when they ran their crash tests earlier this year. Due to supply chain issues, Subaru of America had no new models available for testing purposes.

What does getting the Top Safety Pick+ award mean for customers?

To qualify for the highest Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2022, vehicles must earn good ratings in six IIHS crashworthiness evaluations, including the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength, and head restraint tests.

2022 Subaru Forester features, specs, safety technology

They must also be available with a front crash prevention system that earns advanced or superior ratings in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations. For the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ award, good or acceptable headlights must be standard across all trim levels.

The IIHS says the 2022 Forester compact SUV meets all the criteria for the highest award. Its standard front crash prevention system earns superior ratings in both tests, and all trims are equipped with good-rated, curve-adaptive LED projector headlights.

The 2022 Subaru Forester comes standard with the brand’s EyeSight driver-assist system. Subaru models with EyeSight all receive a “Superior” rating in front crash prevention from the IIHS. EyeSight is now standard equipment on all 2022 Forester trim levels.

What is Subaru EyeSight?

The new-generation Subaru Forester EyeSight includes forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with complete stop, lane departure warning, lead vehicle start alert, rear vehicle detection, blind-spot detection, lane change assist, and a rear cross-traffic alert.

It was a long wait, but the newly-refreshed 2022 Subaru Forester earned the Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Forester is still one of the safest compact SUVs you can buy.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: main image Patrick Subaru