Subaru's new generation Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive Liberty (Legacy) and Outback have been awarded the best ever five-star crashworthiness ratings in independent testing performed by the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

Side and curtain airbag-equipped variants of Liberty (Legacy) and Outback have achieved ANCAP's highest recorded five-star points tally - 35.52 out of a possible 37.

In what is believed to be a world-first, even the non-side/curtain airbag equipped variants of both cars achieved five-star status, scoring 32.57, underlining their structural integrity.

The results mean that all Liberty (Legacy) and Outback models outrank key rivals in independent crashworthiness testing.

The ratings mean that, of Subaru's four core models - Forester, Impreza, Liberty (Legacy) and Outback - three now have variants available with five-star ANCAP ratings.

The Forester XS Luxury Pack and XT Luxury Pack also have five-star ratings.

Nick Senior, General Manager, Subaru Australia, said: "We can rightfully say that Subaru now offers one of the safest vehicle range's on the market.

"The engineers from Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), the maker of Subaru vehicles, have always considered real-world crashworthiness a priority and a key design element.

"In designing new Liberty (Legacy) and Outback they paid careful attention to what happens when two vehicles collide, rather than just concentrating on controlled testing.

"We therefore had every confidence in the design data from FHI, that Liberty (Legacy) and Outback would be five-star performers, and that has now been confirmed in these stringent independent crashworthiness tests.

"It's very gratifying for the FHI engineers and designers to have their hard work ratified by an independent organization."

Liberty (Legacy) also achieved a three-star pedestrian safety result. It is believed to be the first time a vehicle that ANCAP has rated five stars for crashworthiness has also rated three stars for pedestrian safety.

Mr Senior added: "From the outset, Liberty (Legacy) and Outback were designed with safety in mind. For example, body rigidity was increased by 10 per cent, the ring-shaped reinforcements that form the safety cell around the cabin were totally refined and seatbelt warning lights were added for every seat.

"It's remarkable to think that at the same time, the average weight of these cars has decreased by 60 kilograms, compared to their predecessors.

"These safety initiatives have been welcomed by our customers, proving that safety does sell. In fact we've had to increase orders of Safety Pack variants of Liberty (Legacy) and Outback by around 50 per cent since launch, such has been the level of interest.

"At a time when the safety of some four-wheel drive vehicles is also a hot topic for debate, it's interesting to note Outback's exceptional performance when it comes to crashworthiness."

ANCAP is backed by all the nation's motoring organizations and statutory transport bodies.

Its ratings are recognized by equivalent organizations in the U.S.A., Europe, Japan and Korea, where crash testing is also performed and results shared with Australia.

Crash test procedures include a frontal offset crash at 64km/h, a side impact test at 50km/h and a pedestrian test, which indicates likely injuries to a person hit by a vehicle travelling at 40km/h.

Subaru ANCAP background

Liberty (Legacy) and Outback

All new generation Liberty (Legacy) and Outback variants have a five-star ANCAP crashworthiness rating.

The previous generation Liberty (Legacy) (which shared the same safety structure as the earlier model Outback) was the first ANCAP four-star car. It was also the only mid-size four-door car to earn a "good" overall rating in high-speed crash tests conducted in the United States by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

It earned a "best pick" designation from the IIHS too.

Forester

Variants of the Subaru Forester have the best-ever crashworthiness test rating for compact four-wheel drives - five stars.

When announced last year, the rating for the range-topping Forester XS Luxury Pack was unprecedented in the history of independent crash testing by ANCAP.

It meant the Australian Forester variant was officially ranked as the safest in its class.

It was also the first time any Japanese-built car had achieved a five-star ANCAP rating.

All second generation Forester models had already been rated safest in class in earlier ANCAP testing announced in December 2002, when the entire range received a high four-star assessment.

Forester has also been designated a "best pick" and won a top crashworthiness rating in frontal offset crash tests conducted by the IIHS.

New Forester rated "good" overall, the highest crashworthiness rating awarded by the IIHS.

It was one of two vehicles to earn a "best pick" rating - the first time the IIHS has awarded this in its Small Sports Utility Vehicle category.

Impreza

Second generation Impreza was awarded a four-star rating for its safety performance in ANCAP tests. The IIHS also made it a "best pick" and gave it a "good" overall rating ahead of any other small car.

Subaru safety background

Active safety

Active safety systems shared by all Subarus include symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, to aid balance and control, and ABS anti-lock brakes.

Subaru ABS systems are tested in Australia to enable calibration for our unique road conditions, including gravel.

Passive safety

Passive safety features on the entire Subaru range include ring-shaped reinforcements around the cabin and dual front SRS airbags.

Front seatbelt pretensioners are used to quickly tighten the belt on impact and remove any slack between the belt and body.

All rear seatbelts feature Automatic Emergency Locking Retractors (A/ELR).

When fully extended, the belts ratchet back into position for more positive securing of child safety seats. The ratchet is cancelled when the seatbelt is fully retracted.

Centre rear seatbelts are all lap/sash, for added back seat safety.

New generation Liberty (Legacy) and Outback safety

As a result of increased body width, the new ring-shaped reinforcement body structure is completely revised to absorb impact more effectively while achieving a reduction in weight.

A cross member is added to the toe board area with the aim of improving the efficiency of impact absorption in frontal collisions.

The sunroof design is an integral part of the safety structure, ensuring no compromise to crashworthiness.

Impact absorption has been improved by expanding the use of tailored-blank welding.

For added visibility, indicators are built into the door mirrors.

Pedestrian protection

In addition to the bonnet energy absorbing design and detachable type modular wipers similar to those used on the second generation Forester, new features have been added to improve pedestrian protection.

The top mount of the front suspension is lowered, and clearance has been maintained between the engine and the bonnet.

This provides better energy absorption if a person strikes the bonnet, potentially decreasing injury.

Detachable front wipers, impact absorbing fenders and hood hinges are used.

Pedestrian leg protection has also been improved in the front spoiler area using advanced technology.

Airbags

All Liberty (Legacy)s and Outbacks have dual front airbags, which work in conjunction with the front seatbelt pretensioners.

A new two-stage inflator is used for both front airbags, to control the opening of the airbags in accordance with the force of the impact, in the event of a collision.

In the case of a relatively minor impact at low or medium speeds, the airbags inflate in two stages, whereas in the case of a more severe impact at high speed, both inflators deploy simultaneously.

Because the airbags open in response to impact severity, the chance of passenger injury is reduced.

SRS side airbags on naturally aspirated Liberty (Legacy) 2.5i Safety Pack, Premium Pack and on all GT variants, and on Outback 2.5i Premium Pack offer greater head protection for front seat occupants in the event of side collision.

SRS curtain airbags (front/rear passenger protection) are features of naturally aspirated Liberty (Legacy) 2.5i Safety Pack and Premium Pack variants, Liberty (Legacy) GT Premium Pack and Outback 2.5i Premium Pack.

A sensor located inside the centre pillar senses the impact at the time of side collision. The SRS curtain airbags are deployed from the side roof rails to protect the occupants' heads. They remain inflated for several seconds to prevent occupants' from being thrown out of the vehicle.

Safety Pedals

To reduce the chance of injury to the lower limbs during a collision, the brake pedal is equipped with a mechanism to prevent it from being pushed back.

The foot rest of automatic transmission models is also equipped with an impact absorbing mechanism.

Active Headrests

The active headrest mechanism is used in the front seats of all Liberty (Legacy) and Outback models. This mechanism reduces the chance of whiplash injuries in the event of a rear end collision.

When impacted from the rear, the headrests move quickly forward to support the front occupants' heads and reduce the chance of whiplash injuries.



New generation Liberty (Legacy) and Outback standard safety features at a glance

The entry-level Liberty (Legacy) 2.0i safety features include:

Safety

ABS anti-lock brakes with four-wheel discs and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)

Child seat anchor points

Dual front airbags

Front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters

Rear door child lock

Seatbelt indicator lights - all seats

Side intrusion bars

Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive

Three-point A/ELR rear centre seatbelt

Liberty (Legacy) 2.5i Safety Pack adds (to 2.5i specification):

Curtain airbags - full length

Dual front side airbags

Liberty (Legacy) 2.5i Premium Pack adds (to 2.5i specification):

Curtain airbags - full length

Dual front side airbags

VDC - Vehicle Dynamics Control

Liberty (Legacy) GT adds (to 2.5i specification):

Dual front side airbags

Liberty (Legacy) GT Premium Pack adds (to GT specification):

Curtain airbags - full length

The entry-level Outback 2.5i features include:

Safety

ABS brakes with four-wheel discs and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution

Child seat anchor points

Dual front airbags

Front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters

Rear door child lock

Seatbelt indicator lights - all seats

Side intrusion bars

Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive

Three-point A/ELR rear centre seatbelt

Outback 2.5i Premium Pack adds (to 2.5i specification):

Curtain airbags - full length

Dual front side airbags