2025 Subaru Forester gets world's first cyclist airbag

Subaru has announced that it has adapted its pioneering exterior airbags to provide protection to both cyclists and pedestrians in an impact, with the life-saving technology to debut on its 2025 Subaru Forester.

First introduced back in 2016 and subsequently rolled out on the Japanese-spec Impreza, WRX, Crosstrek, Legacy and Levorg, the tech works by inflating an airbag near the top of where the bonnet meets the front windscreen, which is where a pedestrian's head usually lands following an impact.

Extensive research found cyclists who are higher off the ground during a car strike hit their head in a different part of the screen, so Subaru engineers have extended the sides of the bag to cover the A-pillars.

A-pillars are particularly dangerous as they are one of the strongest and most rigid parts of a car's upper structure as they need to prevent occupants in case of rollover.

By changing the shape and location of the air bladder, Subaru says it now offers the maximum level of protection for both pedestrians and cyclists.

Subaru says it is the first car-maker in the world to offer protection for cyclists.

Introduced on the Japanese-spec Subaru Forester it's not known whether the latest exterior airbag will be rolled out globally.

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