The all-electric Subaru Solterra has achieved the maximum five star overall rating in the 2022 European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) safety performance test.
The Euro NCAP is an independent agency composed of European governments and European motoring and consumer organisations. The Solterra European model was used as the test vehicle.
Subaru Corporation has announced that this is the lifestyle brand’s 10th top rating in the Euro NCAP safety tests, following the five star rating awarded to Subaru’s largest SUV, the Outback, in 2021, which also saw it win the Safest Car of the Year award on New Zealand shores.
The Euro NCAP evaluates Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road Users Protection and Safety Assist and the Solterra has registered scores*1 in all four assessment areas that sit above the minimum threshold required. Notably for families, the Solterra achieved the most remarkable score in the Child Occupant Protection, with maximum score in Crash Test Performance of both frontal and lateral impact based on 6 and 10-year-old children.
Subaru of New Zealand’s Managing Director Wallis Dumper welcomes the five star rating but is not surprised by it.
“Our all-new electric SUV, the Solterra follows in the tyre prints of the Subaru Outback which was awarded the maximum five star safety rating from independent Australasian vehicle safety authority ANCAP, achieving record scores in 2021. Outback has been awarded five stars since 2004 and in fact, our entire Subaru model line has had a five star ANCAP safety rating for many years,” he says.
“Subaru specialises in core technologies that help our vehicles achieve both the Euro NCAP and ANCAP results, and these are underpinned by the engineering prowess of our Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD). Like all our New Zealand-new Subarus, the Solterra is All-Wheel Drive, which gives Kiwi drivers the chance to join our journey towards a more sustainable future, while retaining the greater balance and extreme control that is part and parcel of AWD,” Mr Dumper adds.
Subaru of New Zealand has confirmed a 2023 arrival for the Solterra.
“The team here is working hard to establish when we will have the two Solterra models on sale through our 17 Subaru Authorised Centres," Mr Dumper says.
Solterra adopted the e-Subaru Global Platform, a jointly developed BEV-dedicated platform with Toyota Motor Corporation. In event of a collision, the multi load path structure efficiently absorbs the collision energy and protects the vehicle occupants.
Solterra also received an extremely high score for AEB Car-to-Car*2 in Safety Assist assessment thanks to the preventive ‘SUBARU Safety Sense’ system. Additionally, Solterra achieved an impressive score for AEB Cyclist*3 for the Vulnerable Road Users assessment area. The system performed well in the tests of its response to pedestrians and cyclists, with collisions avoided in most test scenarios, as well as collisions involving other vehicles.
Pursuing the goal of ‘delivering happiness to all,’ Subaru will continue to enhance safety through its primary, driving, passive, preventive, and newly added connected safety technologies under its ‘all-around safety’ principle, which underpins enjoyment and peace of mind for all drivers and passengers. Through these efforts, Subaru Corporation aims to achieve zero fatal road accidents*4 by 2030.
Mr Dumper concludes: “We recently displayed an overseas model Subaru Solterra at the New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty Queenstown Marathon and it generated huge interest there. Potential customers and those Subaru loyalists that are keen to move to an e-SUV and have pre-ordered a Solterra, all commented on its generous size, which is somewhere between an Outback and a Forester.”
“Solterra’s cruising range per charge of approximately 460km was also a popular talking point, as it allows our active Kiwi drivers to travel decent distances between charges, as they head away to their adventure hot spots.”
More details will be available in the lead up to the Subaru Solterra launch in New Zealand. Customers are encouraged to register their interest at https://subaru.co.nz/solterra to be kept informed in the lead up to its arrival.
*1 Subaru Solterra Adult Occupant Protection score: 88%, Child Occupant Protection score: 87%, Vulnerable Road Users score: 79%, Safety Assist score: 91% of latest Euro NCAP assessment Protocol.
*2: Subaru Solterra AEB Car-to-Car (pre-collision system) score: 5.8/6 pts.
*3: Subaru Solterra AEB Cyclist score: 8.7/9 pts.
*4: Zero fatal road accidents among occupants of Subaru vehicles and people who collided with Subaru vehicles, including pedestrians and cyclists.
Catherine Pattison
Public Relations
Subaru of New Zealand
M +64 27 445 5389
E catherine.pattison@subaru.co.nz
subaru.co.nz