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2019 Subaru Ascent earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+

The Ascent is now the seventh Subaru to earn TSP+ in 2018. Jeepers.

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
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Andrew Krok
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IIHS

So long as your 2019 Subaru Ascent is rocking the right set of headlights, you can rest assured knowing it's one of the safest vehicles on the road.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) today announced that the 2019 Subaru Ascent is the latest recipient of the group's Top Safety Pick+ accolade. The award is given to any car that's capable of passing the IIHS' battery of tests, which includes traditional crash tests as well as evaluations of ancillary systems that also contribute to passenger safety.

The Ascent absolutely dominated the IIHS' crash tests. It achieved the top rating of Good in every single crash test, as well as every single subcategory that looks at how individual parts of the crash-test dummies react in a collision. The Ascent even aced the IIHS' new passenger-side small overlap front crash test, which was recently instituted and has caused frustration for older vehicles.

Subaru's Ascent comes standard with EyeSight, the automaker's collective of active and passive safety systems, which received the IIHS' top rating of Superior. It avoided collisions at both 12 mph and 25 mph. The Ascent also received top marks in child-seat latch evaluations.

Not all Ascents are created equal, though. The IIHS tests every possible headlight on offer, and the halogen headlights on the base and Premium trims received a Poor rating, the IIHS' worst rating, due to inadequate visibility in curves and excessive low-beam glare. The LED headlights on the Limited and Touring trims received a Good rating, however, which is enough to keep it eligible for Top Safety Pick+.

The Ascent is the seventh Subaru to earn Top Safety Pick+ for 2018, following the , (hatchback and sedan), Legacy, and . The only other vehicle Subaru makes on its own, the , received a Top Safety Pick award, falling ever so slightly short of TSP+ because of its performance in the passenger-side small overlap crash test. The Subaru BRZ, which is made in conjunction with Toyota (and also sold as the Toyota 86), is not on the list.

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