Twin City Subaru

Cherry Hill, N.J., November 18, 2009 - Subaru of America, Inc. today announced that it has been recognized as the only manufacturer with all vehicles named a TOP SAFETY PICK by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

"We are extremely pleased to be the only manufacturer with all vehicles named a TOP SAFETY PICK. This is an outstanding success and a tribute to the engineering that goes into Subaru products," said Tom Doll, executive vice president and COO, Subaru of America, Inc. "To have this recognition by the IIHS reinforces to our customers that we maintain the highest standards when producing vehicles that are safe, durable, reliable as well as fun-to-drive."

"Subaru is the only manufacturer with a TOP SAFETY PICK winner in every vehicle class in which it competes," said IIHS president Adrian Lund. "The vehicles that earn this designation are the cream of the crop for protecting people in the most common kinds of crashes, and they have electronic stability control for helping drivers stay out of many crashes altogether."

The TOP SAFETY PICK recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rear, and now rollover crashes based on 'good' ratings, which denotes 'good' as the top ranking status possible in Institute tests. Winners also must have electronic stability control.

About IIHS

The Institute's frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of 40 mph frontal offset crash tests. Each vehicle's overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.

Side evaluations are based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on 2 instrumented SID-IIs dummies representing a 5th percentile woman, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the impact.

Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry - the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average size man. Seat/head restraints with good or acceptable geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck. This test simulates a collision in which a stationary vehicle is struck in the rear at 20 mph. Seats without good or acceptable geometry are rated poor overall because they can't be positioned to protect many people.

In the roof strength test, a metal plate is pushed against 1 side of a roof at a constant speed. To earn a good rating for rollover protection, the roof must withstand a force of 4 times the vehicle's weight before reaching 5 inches of crush. This is called a strength-to-weight ratio. For an acceptable rating, the minimum required strength-to-weight ratio is 3.25. A marginal rating value is 2.5. Anything lower than that is rated poor.

Subaru First Automaker with two consecutive MOTOR TREND Sport/Utility of the Year Titles

Cherry Hill, NJ, October 15, 2009 -- Subaru of America, Inc. today announced that the Subaru Outback has been named MOTOR TREND's 2010 Sport/Utility of the Year®.

The Subaru Outback's victory follows the Subaru Forester's win for the 2009 award, making Subaru the first automaker to win two consecutive MOTOR TREND Sport/Utility of the Year® awards.

MOTOR TREND editor-in-chief, Angus MacKenzie, said "The 2010 Subaru Outback offers a unique combination of comfort, efficiency, versatility and value. It boasts car-like refinement, drivability and gas mileage on the road, yet is as capable in the rough stuff as all but the most off-road focused sport utilities. Thoughtfully engineered, cleverly detailed and competitively priced, the Subaru Outback is a terrific all-rounder with broad appeal."

"We are doubly proud and honored to receive the MOTOR TREND 2010 Sport/Utility of the Year® award for the second consecutive year" said Thomas J. Doll, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Subaru of America Inc. "To win the 2009 award for the Forester was wonderful enough, but to have won for the 2010 Outback this year is truly an outstanding achievement. The Subaru Outback is an icon of performance and capability and was the original SUV alternative. Now with its improved power, economy and increased dimensions it is the complete package."

Speaking to Subaru of America's sales success as the top performing automaker of 2009, Doll noted, "The success of our business is founded not only on our outstanding products, but also on the commitment and dedication of our retail sales network and great sales and marketing programs. We are absolutely thrilled that MOTOR TREND has added their validation to the Subaru brand."

Priced from $22,995, and produced at Subaru's zero-landfill plant in Lafayette, Indiana, the all-new Subaru Outback is available with either a 170-hp 2.5-liter four cylinder boxer engine or a 256-hp 3.6-liter six-cylinder boxer engine. The 2010 Outback is built on an all-new platform featuring a 2.8-inch longer wheelbase (now 107.9 inches) that improves ride and interior space, especially rear seat legroom. The 2010 Outback also features increased hip and shoulder room.

Living up to Subaru's legendary safety record, the Outback offers cutting-edge safety technology, including Subaru's ring reinforcement safety system, front, seat-mounted side, and side-curtain airbags and ABS. Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) system, which incorporates stability and traction control systems with a roll-over sensor, is also standard equipment.

The Subaru Outback was recently named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS).

To judge contenders for the award, MOTOR TREND's editorial staff conducted an exhaustive three-phase testing process. Phase one of the process includes a full tech check and weigh-in, then full track testing to establish baseline data for acceleration, braking, and handling. Phase two involves three days of road loops offering a range of road surfaces and traffic conditions to evaluate ride and handling, engine and transmission smoothness and responsiveness, wind and road noise, and ergonomics. A dirt-track section tests traction, stability, and braking control systems. In phase three the judges debate and deliberate. This year, the editors updated and expanded the judging criteria to six new categories:

* Design Advancement - well-executed exterior and interior styling; innovative vehicle packaging; good selection and use of materials.
* Engineering Excellence - total vehicle concept and execution; clever solutions to packaging, manufacturing and dynamics issues; cost-effective tech that benefits the consumer.
* Intended Function - how well the vehicle does the job its planners, designers, and engineers intended it to do.
* Efficiency - low fuel consumption and carbon footprint, relative to the vehicle's competitive set.
* Safety - a vehicle's ability to help the driver avoid a crash, as well as the secondary safety measures that protect its occupants from harm during a crash.
* Value - competitive price and equipment levels, measured against those of vehicles in the same market segment.

MOTOR TREND's Sport/Utility of the Year® is not a comparison test and is only open to all-new or substantially upgraded vehicles that have gone on sale in the 12 months from November 1 of the previous year. MOTOR TREND looks for the pick of each year's crop of new SUV's, and does not revisit vehicles that have been on sale for the past few years.

About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, NJ, the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of approximately 600 dealers across the United States. Subaru boasts the most fuel efficient line-up of all-wheel drive products sold in the market today based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy standards. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

We're excited to announce that Motor Trend named the Subaru Forester its 2009 Sport/Utility of the Year^TM because it does all the things that matter most in an SUV, incredibly well. We built Forester with uncompromising safety, go-anywhere capability and lasting durability, so when it came to making a choice out of an exceptional field, the Forester stood out.

After experiencing its road-gripping Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, Motor Trend said "when it gets on dirt, it almost encourages you to go faster." The judges also noted that Forester had "the best observed fuel economy for an all-wheel drive SUV in this year's competition." After all, there's no point in having go-anywhere capability if you can't afford to get where you're going.

We'll take being called "green as you-know-what" as a compliment, and it tends to happen when all of your cars are built in a zero landfill plant. Forester is also the most affordable SUV in its class, so you can see why Motor Trend said "the traditional model for a SUV has changed into something smaller, more fuel-efficient, greener, more, well...Forester-y."

It's a good feeling when you're rewarded for doing things the right way, and we're proud to have built a responsible, versatile, right-sized utility vehicle. So when Motor Trend called Forester "the right vehicle for the times", it wasn't just for today but also for tomorrow. We want to continue building cars that enhance whatever you're doing. Whether it's a trip to the market, or a trip to the mountains. It's what we've always done, and what we will continue to do.

Read the article at Motortrend.com