2022 Subaru Crosstrek Is Now An IIHS Top Safety Pick 11 Consecutive Years

How safe is the new Subaru Crosstrek? The 2022 Subaru Crosstrek was just rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and is now a Top Safety Pick winner for 11 consecutive years. But the Crosstrek Hybrid earns the highest Top Safety Pick + award. Why doesn't the non-hybrid Crosstrek get a higher safety award?

The 2022 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek Hybrid, Ascent, and Legacy all come standard with EyeSight and get the highest Top Safety Pick + award. The 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, Impreza, and 2021 WRX meet these requirements with Subaru's Eyesight safety technology. But not all trims qualify.

The 2022 Crosstrek, Impreza, and WRX all come standard with a manual transmission, and Subaru's EyeSight driver assist technology is not compatible with the manual gearbox. The Crosstrek, Impreza, and WRX without EyeSight don't get the highest scores and can't be included with the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) automatic models.

In their headlights is another category where the 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, Impreza, and 2021 WRX fall short. The Top Safety Pick+ is only awarded to models that meet all the requirements and must have "good" or "acceptable" headlights across trim levels and packages. Because not all trims have the best LED headlights, the Crosstrek, Impreza, and WRX fall short.

Will Subaru make EyeSight available with a manual transmission Crosstrek?

Subaru has not been willing to invest the resources needed to make EyeSight compatible with its EyeSight driver assist safety technology and a manual transmission. Subaru will likely discontinue the 6-speed manual gearbox in the Crosstrek when the next-generation model in 2023 when the subcompact SUV gets a complete remodel.

What is the difference between the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ designation?

The 2022 Subaru Crosstrek Base, Premium, and Sport trim levels earn the best crash prevention scores from the IIHS but get a poor rating for their Halogen reflector headlights. The Crosstrek Limited and Hybrid trims earn the highest Top Safety Pick+ because of their LED projector headlights.

Look for Subaru to improve its headlights in the third-generation Crosstrek Base, Premium, and Sport trims and offer the best LED projector headlights across all trim levels and packages soon. When Subaru drops the manual transmission, all Subaru Crosstrek trim levels will earn the highest Top Safety Pick+ award. The 2022 Subaru Crosstrek remains a Top Safety Pick winner.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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