
Subaru has just done what
no other automaker has ever done, win
back to back Motor Trend SUV 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."The judgment criteria expanded to six 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.
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).
http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/suv/112_0912_2010_suv_of_the_year_winner/index.html