Why Subaru

Safety

Subaru has planned protection for you, building active and passive safety into every aspect of your Subaru. From Vehicle Dynamics Control to a ring-shaped passenger safety cell and airbags, we are there to help you avoid the accident in the first place, and there to help protect you just in case. As a testament to our car safety technologies, every new Subaru has been awarded the maximum 5-star occupant safety rating from ANCAP.**

EyeSight® :

EyeSight® driver assist technology was developed to help keep you much safer on the roads. It’s like your second pair of eyes, spotting potentially dangerous situations like cyclists up ahead.

This award winning technology uses three-dimensional images captured by cameras mounted at the top of the front windscreen.  If it sees anything that might be of danger, it warns you audibly, urging you to take action and brake. It automatically applies the brakes if you don’t.

Apart from these built-in functions, EyeSight®  can also apply automatic braking intervention, when necessary, to help avoid or reduce the severity of a detected frontal collision. There are seven key EyeSight® features:

  • Pre-Collision Braking System
  • Pre-Collision Brake Assist
  • Pre-Collision Throttle Management
  • Adaptive Cruise Control
  • Lane Sway Warning
  • Lane Departure Warning
  • Lead Vehicle Start Alert

EyeSight® is available on selected Forester models. EyeSight® is standard on Outback, Legacy, Impreza and Levorg models. 

Check out Subaru America's overview of the EyeSight®  features in the video below. Please note - NZ new Subaru's with EyeSight® do not include the Lane Keep Assist feature.

Vehicle Dynamics Control system (VDC):

Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) is made up of both braking and stability technologies, all designed to help you stay in control in unexpected driving conditions. The VDC system is constantly analysing through an array of sensors, the parameters that affect vehicle stability when the vehicle is in motion. So in extreme situations - like when you have to swerve or brake suddenly - VDC is there to help. Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control incorporates:

  •     Electronic Stability Control (ESC): In situations such as a vehicle losing control due to unexpected understeer or oversteer, individual brakes are applied, engine power is reduced and torque distribution is shifted to regain vehicle stability, therefore aiding driver control.
  •     Traction Control System (TCS): Reduces engine power to minimise wheel slip.
  •     Limited Slip Device (LSD): Transfers power from the wheels that slip to the wheels that grip to help maintain traction and control.
  •     Anti-lock Braking System (ABS): Providing significant driver assistance in minimising stopping distance and maintaining vehicle control under brakes. ABS maintains control to enable the driver to steer around obstacles and reduce stopping distances.
  •     Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD): Is the electronic control of braking pressure to the front and rear wheels all the time.
  •     Brake Assist: Is a driver assistance system that works to minimise stopping distances in emergency situations by ensuring stopping power is maximised.

Feature: Electronic monitoring of vehicle stability and braking performance.

Benefit: Automatic driver assistance in emergency situations.

See Vehicle Dynamics Control in action:

Ring-shaped Passenger Safety Cell:

The vehicle body is designed to cater for diverse crash conditions and directions, to absorb and direct the impact forces around the cabin rather than directly into the passenger safety cell to help minimise injury to the occupants.

The passenger safety cell is made up of many interlinked components but basically consists of five ring-shaped frames to encircle and protect the occupants. This is a little bit like a roll cage in a motor sport vehicle. These are positioned at the A, B and C pillars and around the side frames.

The front and rear chassis rails are designed to initially engage with the impacted object and to then crumple and absorb the impact energy. Any remaining energy is then directed up into the reinforced ring-shaped frames away from the occupants.

Feature: High strength side structure with energy absorbing capability. 

Benefit: Designed to reduce occupant injury in side impacts.

SRS Airbags:

SRS airbags are a supplementary restraint system designed to work in conjunction with seatbelts to restrain and protect the occupants against sudden deceleration and impact with interior parts of the vehicle such as the dash, windows, steering wheel and other fixed objects.

All current model Subaru vehicles feature as standard fitment dual front, side torso (dual front side) and curtain airbags. They are not options! Our philosophy is that safety is not optional or dependent on cost.

Airbags are a supplementary device, designed to work as part of a total car safety package and are tuned to the total performance of the body structure. The timing of airbag deployment is critical in achieving increased protection and safe operation.

Front airbags work to minimise injury to the head in a frontal accident, while side torso as the name implies protects the side of the body in a side impact. Curtain airbags deploy along the side windows to protect both front and rear occupants’ heads in a side impact.

Some models now feature a driver’s knee SRS airbag to protect against knee and upper leg injury as a result of impact with steering column or under dash area.

Front pretensioner seatbelts and SRS airbags work together as a total occupant restraint system. Their purpose is to restrain the occupant quickly and to minimise the difference in speed between the body and the vehicle.

The pretensioner seatbelts have an explosive device that triggers at the same time as the deployment of the airbags.

It initially tightens the seatbelt on the body minimising forward movement, then after the point of impact, a device known as a load limiter, releases some belt to progressively slow the body. Again, timing of airbag deployment and pretensioners seatbelt actions is critical in helping to minimise occupant injury.

Rear view camera - eyes in the back of your head:

Manoeuvring back into a tight side street? Family driveway littered with toys? Reverse with confidence, thanks to our Rear View Camera technology.

The rear view camera is like having eyes in the back of your head. Using a camera, it will scan the road behind you, and alert you audibly if anything is in the way. This greatly improves your visibility and reduces the risk of bumps and scrapes.

The rear view camera is a standard feature on all Subaru models. 

Greater vision all around - one metre rule:

We believe that the more a driver can see, the less danger there will be on the roads. Particularly when it comes to reversing out of the driveway amongst small children or when driving in school zones.

So our One Metre Rule is a design philosophy based around greater driver vision. It means that we design every NZ new Subaru so that the driver can see an object of at least one metre high (i.e. the average height of a child) from any window – front, rear, left or right – comfortably from their seat.

ANCAP 5-star occupant safety rating**:

ANCAP – the Australasian New Car Assessment Program is an independent organisation, providing consumers with accurate information on occupant crash safety through a star rating system. The star rating system ranges from 1 – lowest score to 5 – the highest score.

The program is supported by the Australian Federal Government, Australian and New Zealand automobile clubs, the State Government Road and Transport authorities of NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia, the New Zealand Government, the Victorian TAC, NRMA Insurance and the FIA Foundation.

The ANCAP rating uses four internationally recognised crash tests; offset frontal, side impact, pedestrian and pole impact test.

ANCAP rating crash tests in action:

We would ask, why should safety be optional? To us, it is non-negotiable; every customer deserves the same level of protection.

Subaru Safety Video

Our range of unique technologies are designed to enhance the driving experience and safety of our customers and their families. Please view our Safety Overview video that focuses on each technology and its key benefits in one 4-minute snapshot.

*Not all technologies are available on all models. Please check the model feature and specification lists for full details.

**The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) gives consumers consistent information on the level of occupant protection provided by vehicles in serious front and side crashes.