Forester Wins Top 4WD Award

Media Information December 7, 2006

Forester Wins Top 4WD Award

The Symmetrical All Wheel Drive Subaru Forester X has been named Best Recreational Four Wheel Drive in Australia's Best Cars awards.

The award from the combined motoring organisations maintains Forester's status as one of the most decorated vehicles in the Australian automotive industry. This is on top of the many other international awards that Forester has been awarded, including the 2003 AA Autocar Car of the Year Class Winner here in New Zealand.

Cars were evaluated by the various motoring associations; NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAASA, RACWA, RACT and AANT against a broad range of criteria including: on road performance, design and function and value for money.

"Forester was one of the original Compact Sports Utility Vehicles when it was launched in 1997 and pioneered this class of vehicle," said Subaru New Zealand's Managing Director, Chris Rickards.

"Subaru endeavours to refine Forester with the passing of each model year and this is reflected in its Best Cars success. In New Zealand Forester represents almost 20% of our sales.”

"The judging process in this particular award is renowned for its objectivity and is a rigorous process. As such, Forester buyers are safe in the knowledge that they're getting a safe, reliable and well-specified vehicle. This is an award that Subaru covets as it is meaningful, it is real and it is customer-based."

Forester has a 5-star crashworthiness rating for occupant safety from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP). It was the first compact SUV to achieve this rating and also the first Japanese vehicle to do so.

In the 2006 Used Car Safety ratings recently released by the New Zealand and Australian Governments, Forester achieved the highest safety ratings for both occupant and pedestrian safety. Forester was specifically identified as a vehicle with one of the strongest safety records for both occupants and passengers over the study period based on actual performance in crash situations.

This year cumulative production of the Forester passed one million worldwide.

ENDS

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