The best deals on vehicles that have won IIHS’ Top Safety Pick+ award

Not only is vehicle safety a key consideration for car buyers, it is also a major selling point for automakers looking to further differentiate themselves from the competition.

Safety technology has become one of the biggest areas of innovation among automakers. Modern vehicles are built with two categories of safety technology. The first is passive safety technology, which includes features such as airbags, crumple zones, collapsible steering columns and seat belts that minimize the adverse effects of a collision.

The other is active safety technology, whose purpose is to avoid a collision from occurring altogether with features such as pre-collision systems, pedestrian detection, lane departure alerts and adaptive cruise control. Due to their semi-autonomous nature, active safety features are, in essence, precursors to what many consider the holy grail of road transportation – the driverless car.

One of the foremost authorities on vehicle safety is the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Each year after rigorous crash testing, the IIHS awards its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards to those vehicles that best protect their occupants in the event of an accident. This year, the IIHS awarded 74 models for leading in-class safety with 23 of them receiving the Top Safety Pick+ honour. A complete list of 2018 award winners can be found on the IIHS website.

A vehicle can earn a Top Safety Pick award upon attaining good ratings on five crashworthiness tests, as well as an advanced or superior rating for frontal crash prevention technology such as a forward collision warning or autonomous braking, and an acceptable or good headlight rating. A vehicle can also be upgraded to a Top Safety Pick+ if it meets IIHS’s standards for passenger-side safety.

We’ve featured some of our favourite offers this week on vehicles that were awarded IIHS’ Top Safety Pick+ award. If you don’t find an offer that suits you, be sure to check out the new Globe Drive Build and Price Tool to see the latest incentives and discounts on any new car, truck or SUV .

Hyundai Santa Fe XL

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe XL is equipped with a 3.3-litre, V-6 engine with gasoline direct injection that produces 290 horsepower and 252 lb.-ft. of torque. The Ultimate trim features an eight-inch infotainment system with navigation, a 12-speaker Infinity premium audio system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, leather seating surfaces, a panoramic sunroof and a multi-view camera system. This trim is also equipped with active safety technology including autonomous emergency braking, lane departure alert, blind spot detection, as well as automatic HID headlights with adaptive cornering and high beam assist.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe XL Ultimate 7-Passenger All Wheel Drive

• MSRP: $47,799
• Manufacturer cash incentive: $5,000 (as compared to $4,000 in May)
• Estimated dealer discount: $750
• Freight, PDI, government fees: $2,045
• Cash purchase price before tax: $44,094
• Finance for 84 months at zero per cent interest for $660 per month including tax and assumes zero down payment
• Lease for 48 months at 4.99 per cent interest for $955 per month including tax and assumes a 20,000 annual kilometre allowance with zero down payment

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Kia Soul

The 2018 Kia Soul features three engine variants depending on the trim. The EX Tech trim, for example, features a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine with gasoline direct injection that outputs 161 horsepower and 149 lb.-ft. of torque. This trim also features an eight-inch infotainment system, an eight-speaker Harman-Kardon premium audio system, a heated multi-function steering wheel, a panoramic sunroof, heated leather seats, windshield wiper de-icing capability and a rearview camera. Its exterior features automatic Xenon HID headlights as well as LED tail lights and daytime running lights. Active safety technology on the EX Tech trim include an autonomous emergency braking system, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning and blind spot detection.

2018 Kia Soul 2.0 EX Tech Automatic

• MSRP: $28,395
• Manufacturer cash incentive: $1,250
• Estimated dealer discount: $250
• Freight, PDI, government fees: $1,925
• Cash purchase price before tax: $28,820
• Finance for 60 months at zero per cent interest for $552 per month including tax, which includes a $750 manufacturer incentive and assumes zero down payment
• Lease for 48 months at 1.99 per cent interest for $397 per month including tax, which includes a $1,000 manufacturer incentive and assumes a 20,000 annual kilometre allowance with zero down payment

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Subaru Outback

The 2018 Subaru Outback is available with either a 2.5-litre, four cylinder Boxer engine that generates 175 horsepower and 174 lb.-ft. of torque or a 3.6-litre, six-cylinder Boxer engine that produces an additional 81 horsepower and 73 lb.-ft. of torque. All trims come standard with Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive powertrain.

The 2.5i Limited trim features an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, a 12-speaker, 576-watt Harman-Kardon audio system, voice-activated dual-zone climate control, a 5-inch multi-information display in the instrument cluster, heated leather seats, a rearview camera and automatic, steering responsive LED projection headlights. Subaru’s EyeSight safety package, available on this trim, includes active safety technology such as pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and lead vehicle start alert.

2018 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited with EyeSight Package

• MSRP: $38,295
• Manufacturer cash incentive: $1,000
• Estimated dealer discount: $1,000
• Freight, PDI, government fees: $2,114
• Cash purchase price before tax: $38,409
• Finance for 60 months at 0.99 per cent interest for $751 per month including tax, which includes a $500 manufacturer incentive (as compared to no incentive in May) and assumes zero down payment
• Lease for 48 months at 0.99 per cent interest for $563 per month including tax, which includes a $500 manufacturer incentive (as compared to no incentive in May) and assumes a 20,000 annual kilometre allowance with zero down payment

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Lexus RC

The 2018 Lexus RC 300 delivers 260 horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of torque through a 3.6-litre V-6 engine. Unlike most other sports sedans, which are equipped with a rear-wheel drivetrain, the RC features an all-wheel drivetrain, allowing for all-season versatility. This four-seater coupe comes standard with a 10-speaker audio system, heated front seats, SiriusXM capability, Bluetooth connectivity, a backup camera, automatic dual-zone climate control and a heated multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters. On the outside, it features auto-leveling LED headlights and LED tail lights and daytime running lights.

All trims come standard with Lexus Safety System+ which includes automatic high beam, lane departure alert, pre-collision system with pedestrian alert and active steering assist as well as dynamic radar cruise control.

2018 Lexus RC 300

• MSRP: $50,750
• Manufacturer cash incentive: $4,000 (applied after tax)
• Estimated dealer discount: $1,500
• Freight, PDI, government fees: $2,215
• Cash purchase price before tax: $47,925
• Finance for 60 months at 1.9 per cent interest for $964 per month including tax, which includes a $3,000 after-tax manufacturer incentive and assumes zero down payment
• Lease for 48 months at 2.9 per cent interest for $720 per month including tax, which includes a $3,000 after-tax manufacturer incentive and assumes a 20,000 annual kilometre allowance with zero down payment

Get Local Price on Globe Drive

Andrew Tai is CEO of Unhaggle. Follow on Twitter @ahytai

Manufacturer incentives and pricing calculations are based on Ontario customers and subject to availability of inventory. Dealer discounts shown are estimates for illustrative purposes only, may vary by region and are given at the discretion of individual dealers. Please note that while every effort is made to ensure the information above is accurate at the time of publication, pricing, incentives and discounts are subject to change or discontinuation at any time. Vehicle images may not represent the exact model featured in the pricing provided. Consult your local dealership for details.

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