20 Apr 04 15:20
Subaru's latest Legacy has been awarded five stars for safety in the Australian New Car Assessment Programme, which uses the same crash tests as the accepted European standard, EuroNCAP. The European agency has yet to test the Legacy, however.
ANCAP's tests on the new Legacy, which went on UK sale last year, saw it achieve the organisation's highest ever crash protection rating, scoring 35.52 points out of a 37-point maximum. Even models without side/curtain airbags achieved five stars.
The latest Legacy, which is badged Liberty in Australia, hasn't been tested by EuroNCAP yet, but because the offset-frontal 40mph crash, and 31mph side impact tests are the same, is likely to achieve the same, or very similar results: ANCAP quotes EuroNCAP scores for models tested in Europe, alongside its own results. The previous Legacy Outback, which went on sale in 1998, scored three stars.
