Subaru Outback Scores Highest Overall Safety Across All Vehicle Classes

The 2022 Subaru Outback earned the best safety scores across all vehicle classes. What does the safety score mean for SUV shoppers?

Customers looking for a safe SUV should check out the 2022 Subaru Outback. Subaru announced the 2022 Outback had achieved the highest overall score across all cars among all vehicles assessed in the latest testing by the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). What does it mean for SUV shoppers?

NCAP tests vehicles in four assessment areas; adult occupant, child occupant, vulnerable road users, and safety assist. The 2022 Outback didn't just score above the minimum threshold required but above the minimum to obtain the maximum rating of five stars.

photo credit: Budds Subaru

NCAP's latest assessment protocol no longer awards top-five rating stars if driving assistance systems do not significantly contribute to avoiding accidents or at least reducing the severity of an accident. Subaru's EyeSight driver-assist safety technology in the Outback achieved the highest scores (95 percent) across all vehicle classes and the best mark ever for a Subaru vehicle.

Subaru says EyeSight has reduced the rear-end collision rate by 84 percent and the pedestrian accident rate by 49 percent. The rear-end collision rate for vehicles equipped with EyeSight is 0.06 percent.

photo credit: Planet Subaru

NCAP says, "Tests revealed large differences in ADAS (advanced driving assistance systems) scores. Best performers were the Subaru Outback with 95 percent scores, thanks to sophisticated automatic emergency braking, lane support, speed, and attention assist systems," the report said.

The latest NCAP safety assist test introduces the Occupant Status assessment. Thanks to Subaru's facial recognition technology, the DriverFocus system, the Outback successfully passed, which alerts the driver when feeling tired or distracted while driving.

The new assessment also requires new test scenarios for the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), enhancing both pedestrian protection (when turning at a crossing) and cyclist protection (higher target speed scenarios and obstructed scenarios).

According to the latest test protocols, the 2022 Outback also registered the highest marks in the child occupant protection test across its Large Family Cars class.

What is the price of the 2022 Subaru Outback?

The 2022 Outback comes in eight trim levels; the base trim is priced from $27,845, Premium ($30,270), Limited ($34,720), Touring ($38,620), Onyx Edition XT ($36,270), new for 2022, Outback Wilderness ($38,120), Limited XT ($39,120), and Touring XT ($41,070). Pricing includes $1,125 destination and delivery fees.

The 2022 Subaru Outback gets the highest scores in the midsize SUV category and is a good choice for families concerned with safety. The NCAP says the Outback just earned the highest overall score of all cars tested.

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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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Photo credit: Subaru