2019 Subaru Forester achieves 5-star ANCAP score – video

The fifth-generation Subaru Forester has achieved a full five-star safety score from the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), delivering high marks in local crash testing and earning praise for the high level of standard electronic safety aids.

Perhaps most crucially for family-bound buyers, the Subaru Forester received full marks for child occupant protection in both side and frontal impacts. However, some difficulties related to fitting child seats in the rear centre position saw its overall child protection score knocked down to 86 percent.

Adult protection fared better, with an overall score of 94 percent. Driver’s leg protection in the offset frontal crash test was described as ‘marginal’, however it aced the side impact and pole tests, and returned solid scores in other areas.

5

Pedestrian impact protection was found to be good, while some deficiencies were noted in the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system’s ability to detect cyclists crossing the road from an adjacent footpath. That said, ANCAP noted the Forester’s high level of standard safety equipment – which includes lane keep assist, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring, along with seven airbags – and commended Subaru for prioritising safety.

“It is encouraging to see brands like Subaru prioritising and progressively increasing safety for its customers,” said ANCAP’s chief executive, James Goodwin.

5

Want to get a more intimate idea of just what’s involved in crash-testing a car? WhichCar TV followed the Forester for part of its ANCAP assessment, witnessing the work involved in preparing and crashing the 2019 Subaru Forester earlier this year.

To describe the process as painstaking and exacting is an understatement, and we’ve got a quick clip above to show you exactly what happens when ‘crunch time’ comes. To learn more about what happens when a car gets sacrificed in the name of safety, tune in to WhichCar TV on Channel Ten on 28 April or stream later on TenPlay.

5