OREANDA-NEWS. Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, today announced that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS; a nonprofit organization supported by auto insurers in the US) has awarded the highest standard of safety, 2015 TOP SAFETY PICK+ (TSP+) along with the highest possible rating of "Superior" for front crash prevention to the 2015 Subaru Legacy, Outback, Forester, Impreza and Subaru XV Crosstrek, equipped with Subaru's "EyeSight" driver assist technology. By adopting the EyeSight, these five 2015 models earned 6 of 6 points for front crash prevention. In the small car category, only the Impreza and Subaru XV Crosstrek achieved "Superior" rating. Including TSP rating for the 2015 WRX and Subaru BRZ, Subaru has seven models* that have earned 2015 safety awards from IIHS – five with TOP SAFETY PICK+ and two with TOP SAFETY PICK.

The EyeSight was the first system ever to use only stereo camera technology to detect the objects such as vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. Since its Japanese debut in May 2008, features available on this system have been highly praised; they included pre-collision braking control and all-speed range adaptive cruise control tracking function. FHI keeps offering substantially enhanced preventive safety performance to more customers by expanding the EyeSight driver assist technology to Japan, Australia, North America and Europe.

To win TOP SAFETY PICK, a vehicle must have "Good" ratings in all four tests of high-speed front and side crash tests, a rollover test, and evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. In addition, "Good" or "Acceptable" performance in a small overlap front test introduced in 2012 is also required. The same level of performance in those tests, along with an "Advanced" or "Superior" rating for front crash prevention, is required for the higher accolade, TOP SAFETY PICK+.

*: Subaru models currently sold in the North American region.