January 20 2026,
The 2026 Subaru Forester achieved IIHS Top Safety Pick+ status in January 2026, marking the model's 10th consecutive year earning the organization's highest safety designation. This milestone reflects sustained engineering focus on crash protection and driver assistance technology across multiple Forester generations.
For Simcoe County families commuting on Highway 11 or navigating winter roads between Orillia and Barrie, the Forester's safety record provides measurable protection backed by independent testing.
What Changed in 2025 IIHS Testing
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety raised evaluation standards for 2025, making Top Safety Pick+ awards harder to earn. The updated criteria include stricter requirements for the moderate overlap front crash test and the addition of a rear-seat crash test dummy to assess back-seat passenger protection.
Under previous IIHS protocols, vehicles needed an "Acceptable" rating in the moderate overlap front crash test to qualify for Top Safety Pick. The 2025 standards require a "Good" rating—the highest possible score—to earn Top Safety Pick+. This test simulates a frontal collision where 40% of the vehicle's front end strikes a barrier at 64 km/h, measuring how well the structure protects occupants.
The new rear-seat dummy assessment evaluates protection for passengers in the second row during frontal crashes. For families transporting children in car seats or passengers in the back, this test provides data on head, chest, and leg injury risk that wasn't previously measured.
The 2026 Forester achieved "Good" ratings across all IIHS crash tests: moderate overlap front, small overlap front (driver and passenger side), side impact, roof strength, and head restraints.
How the Forester's Structure Protects Occupants
The Forester uses Subaru's ring-shaped reinforcement frame, which connects the roof to the side pillars and floor in a continuous safety cell. This design dissipates crash energy away from the passenger compartment during frontal, side, and rollover collisions.
The sixth-generation Forester (introduced for 2025) incorporates more high-tensile steel in key structural areas compared to the previous model. The crumple zone absorbs frontal impact energy, while reinforced door beams and a strengthened rear structure provide protection from side and rear collisions.
For back-seat passengers, the Forester includes side-curtain airbags with rollover sensors that cover both front and rear outboard positions. The rear seats feature pretensioners and load limiters in the seatbelts, which tighten during a crash and then release slightly to reduce chest forces. The ISO-FIX/LATCH anchor system for child seats is positioned for secure installation.
These structural and restraint features work together to achieve the crash test results that earned the Top Safety Pick+ designation.
EyeSight Driver Assist Technology: Standard on Every Forester
Every 2026 Forester—including the e-BOXER Hybrid—comes standard with the latest generation of Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. This system contributed to the IIHS award by earning a "Superior" rating for front crash prevention.
EyeSight uses stereo cameras mounted behind the windshield, supplemented by a wide-angle mono camera introduced in the 2025 redesign. The wide-angle camera expands the system's field of view, improving detection of pedestrians and cyclists at intersections or in crosswalks.
Standard EyeSight features on the 2026 Forester include:
These features function in conditions common to Simcoe County driving: snow, rain, low light, and highway speeds up to 180 km/h for Adaptive Cruise Control.
Why the Rear-Seat Dummy Test Matters for Families
The addition of rear-seat crash test dummies in 2025 IIHS testing directly addresses protection for passengers riding in the back—often children or elderly family members.
In the moderate overlap front crash test, the rear-seat dummy measures:
The 2026 Forester's performance in this test demonstrates that the second-row seats, seatbelts, and front seatback structures provide protection comparable to the front seats. For families with children in car seats or booster seats, this data confirms the Forester's rear-seat safety during frontal collisions.
Subaru designed the front seatbacks to deform in a controlled manner during rear-seat impacts, reducing the force transferred to rear passengers. The rear outboard seatbelts include pretensioners that activate during a crash, and the middle position includes a three-point seatbelt with a load limiter.
Forester e-BOXER Hybrid Also Earns Top Safety Pick+
The IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award applies to all 2026 Forester trim levels, including the Forester e-BOXER Hybrid. The hybrid model uses the same body structure, airbag systems, and EyeSight technology as non-hybrid versions.
The e-BOXER Hybrid's battery pack is sealed and positioned low in the chassis to protect it during crashes while maintaining the vehicle's low centre of gravity. The hybrid system's 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle SUBARU BOXER engine and electric motors deliver 194 combined horsepower while retaining Subaru's mechanical Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.
For Orillia drivers considering the hybrid for fuel efficiency (nearly 1,000 km range) and winter capability, the Top Safety Pick+ rating confirms that safety performance remains unchanged from non-hybrid models.
Subaru's 75 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Awards Since 2013
The 2026 Forester's award is part of a larger pattern. Since 2013, Subaru has earned 75 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards across its model lineup—more than most manufacturers accumulate over the same period.
In 2025 alone, Subaru received four IIHS awards:
This consistency across model years and vehicle types demonstrates engineering priorities that extend beyond individual models. EyeSight Driver Assist Technology, ring-shaped reinforcement frames, and advanced restraint systems appear across the Subaru lineup sold in Simcoe County.
What Top Safety Pick+ Means for Orillia Drivers
IIHS crash test ratings provide independent verification of safety claims. Unlike manufacturer testing, IIHS evaluates vehicles purchased from dealerships and conducts tests using standardized protocols that simulate real-world crash scenarios.
For drivers in Orillia navigating winter roads, Highway 11 traffic, and cottage country routes, the Forester's Top Safety Pick+ rating confirms:
The award also indicates that the Forester meets or exceeds safety performance of competitors in the compact SUV segment.
Standard Safety Equipment Across All Trims
Every 2026 Forester includes:
Higher trims add features like Reverse Automatic Braking (Touring and above), Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (Touring and above), and DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System (Limited and Premier).
The Forester's 10th consecutive IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award reflects engineering consistency across a decade of design evolution. For Simcoe County families, this record provides measurable evidence of crash protection and collision avoidance capability.
Visit Subaru of Orillia to see the 2026 Forester and Forester e-BOXER Hybrid.
Other Articles That May Interest You
January 24 2026,
Subaru Canada announced pricing for the seventh-generation 2026 Outback on October 28, 2025. The lineup eliminates the Convenience trim and positions Touring as the new entry point at $40,895. This restructuring delivers significantly more standard equipment than previous base models, with features that were optional or higher-trim-exclusive now included across all Outbacks. The 2026 Outback...
December 24 2025,
Subaru's X-MODE system addresses the specific challenges of Ontario winter driving through integrated control of the engine, transmission, all-wheel drive, and braking systems. Standard on the Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and Ascent, X-MODE provides enhanced traction and control when road conditions deteriorate beyond what standard all-wheel drive systems can manage alone. Understanding how...
December 17 2025,
The 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness arrives with technology designed to address the dual demands of Simcoe County drivers: weekend adventures through Muskoka backcountry and daily commutes along Highway 11. This latest iteration introduces electronically controlled dampers, expanded cargo solutions, and refined capability features that enhance both off-road performance and on-road comfort. The...
Powered and developed by
