2017 Subaru Impreza nabs IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award

Subaru's all-new Impreza lineup has received top marks from the insurance industry-funded IIHS after being subjected to a barrage of crash tests. 

The 2017 Impreza, Subaru's compact sedan and hatchback range, has been rated as high as Top Safety Pick+ when equipped with optional systems. While the IIHS says that all Imprezas have a solid body structure that holds up well in crash tests, the award applies only to models optioned up with automatic emergency braking and LED headlights. That means that only the range-topping Impreza Limited with the optional EyeSight package is a Top Safety Pick+ costs $27,410, which is $8,195 more than the starting price for a standard Impreza sedan.

MORE: All of the IIHS' Top Safety Pick+ award winners

Other models—the Impreza base, Premium, and Sport—utilize halogen units that the IIHS says don't light up the road as well as the Limited's LEDs. When equipped with EyeSight, the Limited models add automatic high beams, which are required for a top "Good" score in the new headlight test. Additionally, no Impreza comes standard with automatic emergency braking, which is bundled in the EyeSight package. 

For 2017, the Top Safety Pick+ award now applies only to vehicles that ace the IIHS crash tests, offer high-functioning collision-avoidance technology, and include headlights that work especially well for their intended function.

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Along with the new Impreza, the IIHS has given Top Safety Pick+ nods among affordable compact cars to the 2017 Mazda 3, 2017 Toyota Corolla, and the 2017 Hyundai Elantra.