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How Safe Is The Subaru Crosstrek? Zane Says It Saved His Life In A Head-On Crash

How safe is the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek? Check out a horrific head-on accident and how the driver says the subcompact SUV saved his life.

Is the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek the safest compact SUV you can buy? The Crosstrek gets the highest score from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). But what would happen if the unthinkable happens; a head-on collision with another vehicle?

How safe is the small SUV when hit in a head-on collision? A report from Fairway Subaru says Zane was in a horrific accident in his Subaru Crosstrek, and the vehicle saved his life.

2023 Subaru Crosstrek crash
photo credit: Fairway Subaru

Fairway Subaru says, "Subaru saved a life. Zane was going down the interstate when a driver hit him head-on going the wrong way. He made it out alive by a miracle with the protection of his Crosstrek. We are so blessed to send him off in a new Subaru Forester Sport after a few broken bones, lacerations, surgery, and physical therapy. Thank you for sharing your story with us."

How did the Crosstrek save Zane's life?

The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek rides on the new Subaru Global Platform and uses a ring-shaped reinforcement frame with increased body and cabin strength. In a head-on collision, the Subaru Boxer engine sits lower in the chassis. It is designed to absorb and safely dissipate impact energy, directing it away from the vehicle's occupants beneath the seating compartment.

2023 Subaru Crosstrek crash
photo credit: Fairway Subaru - Zane buys a Subaru Forester to replace his Crosstrek

Zane's life was spared due to Subaru engineers improving the already effective ring-shaped reinforcement frame used in all Subaru vehicles. Subaru's ring-shaped reinforcement frame has been used for over a decade and has proven very effective in protecting the vehicle's occupants.

The Crosstrek subcompact SUV he was driving, along with all Subaru vehicles, has been enhanced to provide better protection in the structure increasing cabin rigidity and absorbing impact energy from any direction.

Subaru improves crash safety in the next-generation Crosstrek

Improved collision safety

Subaru says they have improved the crash safety in the 2024 Crosstrek. The Crosstrek's bumper beam has been enlarged to extend outside the vehicle, and a collision sub-frame has been added to absorb impacts further. In a collision with another car, "crash compatibility" improvements protect people riding in one's vehicle and occupants of the other vehicle.

Subaru says, "Like, in the Outback, new mobile progressive deformable barrier (MPDB) testing has been implemented to assess crash compatibility in head-on collisions."

Zane was impressed with his Crosstrek and bought another Subaru vehicle, a 2022 Subaru Forester. The Forester has the same design that gives superior protection that enables all their vehicles to keep achieving the top safety crash scores year after year.

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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: Fairway Subaru