Subaru knows the numbers so the car manufacturer have actually made a business with AWD wagons and their crossovers which look tough and rugged but still offers good handling and fuel mileage. The Subaru Outback, for example, will not get you thru the Rubicon Trail but surely it can handle the everyday rigors of driving from home to office and back in any kind of weather.

The 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek can also do this and a lot of people were impressed when it was showcased at the auto show in New York recently. The new XV Crosstrek uses the platform of the Impreza with all the capability you will expect from it plus a decent fuel mileage of 33 miles per gallon.

The heart of this machine is a 2.0L 4-cylinder boxer engine which gives out 148 horsepower which is mated to a either a manual transmission with six speeds or a Lineatronic CVT, which comes standard for the Limited units. The power of the engine is transferred to all of the wheels to make sure that the XV Crosstrek will be able to manage thru the most challenging condition Mother Nature might bring its way.

The suspension of the Subaru XV Crosstrek is also slightly lifted so this new version gets a better clearance off the ground. The 8.4 inches of clearance might not match the Jeep’s but it is pretty good if you will talking about handling potholes, some off-roading, and rought roads like peanuts.

The Subaru XV Crosstrek will be hitting dealerships come fall and will be released in Premium and Limited versions. There is no announcement yet as to the pricing of the XV Crosstrek but we can expect figures to come out as the release nears.

You might be wondering why not an all wheel drive just like its other siblings in the Subaru garage? The engineers that worked on the Subaru BRZ want to achieve excellent handling and to do this they need to give the car a very low center of gravity. An AWD setup will be a bit restrictive and complicated to get to their goal but with a rear wheel drive setup, the BRZ’s engine can be set quite low.

The BRZ hits the scales and does not go over 2,700 lbs. In its engine bay is a pretty powerful heart with 2.0L displacement that gives out 200 horsepower. The engineers also had the freedom to place the engine where it will help well with the weigh distribution of the ride and help maintain a low center of gravity because of its boxer engine which is compact flat.

The sleek design lines echoes racing DNA all over. It has a flowing roofline, short overhangs, miss maxi fenders, and a height of just 50.6 inches. As much as it looks like a ride for the race track, the Subaru BRZ comes with all functionality and practicality. It can accommodate four people, has enough boot space, and has sufficient safety provisions for the occupants.

The Subaru BRZ is an excellent project for this car manufacturer and a lot of people fell in love during when it was displayed at the NAIAS. For now, we shall wait until it hits the showrooms.

Subaru Crossover

By 2012, Subaru will be retiring the Outback Sport and will let the Impreza Sport that has several options take the reign. The Subaru XV that was unwrapped during the auto show in Frankfurt a few weeks ago will be heading to the United States under a different nameplate.

According to Subaru, the XV will be under the wings of the Impreza brand as part of the 2013 MY lineup.

This will widen the Impreza range and give it a distinct model that has off-road capabilities, higher ground clearance, and unique wheels. The specifics about the Subaru Crossover has not yet been revealed but the US version will sport a new fascia and front grille.

The XV Crossover will most likely be renamed when it is launched in the U.S. to conform to the Subaru tradition of having proper word names for their car models. The only alphabetic tag is the upcoming sports car, Subaru BRZ.

The Subaru XV production version that will also be marketed in Europe in Asia was previewed as the SV Concept during the auto show in Shanghai this year.

The 2012 Imrpreza sport meanwhile is a transitional model for the brand and is a 5-door hathback which has a combo of Impreza options coming with it. The Sport will roll on 17-inch rims for some package options including an All-Weather setup. It will also have options for fog lights, roof rails, and rocker panels.

The Outback Sport is considered as a last generation 5-door Impreza that was marketed with several options and body accents. It did not utilize the Legacy platform used by others in the midsize lineup of Subaru.

The 2013 XV will add some brute force to distinguish its all wheel drive system and abilities off road which will be adding depth to the Impreza line.

This afternoon, the 2 millionth Subaru unit—an Outback in ruby red body color—was showered by SIA associates with sparkling mineral water to celebrate the moment event held at the staging area at the Lafayette plant.

According to the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc., Motokiyo Nomura, the SIA Lafayette plant has assembled almost 3,430,000 car units in the last 22 years. This figure includes 2 million Subaru units. There were also the Rodeo, Pick Up, Isuzu Amigo and Axium, Honda Passport, and the Subaru Baja.

The SIA Lafayette plant is currently the place of production for the Subaru Outback, Legacy, Tribeca, and the Toyota Camry.
The Subaru Outback sales totaled at 51,239 units for half of this year alone. Legacy sales increased by 12 percent to 21,284 units.

According to SIA Executive Vice President, Tom Easterday, it took the company 13 years to reach the 2 millionth Subaru. However, the current speed of the production nowadays, it would only take about 7 years to reach its 3 millionth unit.
This success is a manifestation of the dedication, perseverance, and hard work of the people at the SIA plant. The Subaru units here are recognized worldwide for their safety, quality, and reliability.

The Japanese built Subaru Forester crossover saw a 28% fall in terms of sales while the compact Subaru Impreza took a big blow a its sale saw a 35% decline due to a shutdown of their factories in Japan for three weeks. The halt in operations came after the 11 March earthquake. The Subaru Impreza and Forester will still be in short supply for the rest of July as the supply pipe in the United States try to return to the normal levels.

An insider though shared that they are seeing July with the lowest supply so sales will be dramatically impacted.

On a brighter side, the Outback crossover, the Tribeca SUV, and the Legacy Sedan which are all produced in the US showed a jump in sales in June. The Lafayette factory has returned to their nomal productions after weeks of struggle due to a parts shortage because of the Japan tragedy.

Subaru America though sees 2011 as their second best in terms of sale for the company’s history. Subaru was predicting to get their best sales figures ever with a forecast of 263, 820 vehicles for 2010 until the Japan tsunami.

The sales of Subaru was up by around 5% or 132,049 vehicles for the first six months of 2011 compared to the same period last year.

The Subaru Impreza saloon concept has very aggressive posture with its shoulder line in the liking of a Volvo S60, eye catching hexagonal grille, and the front end of the car cut by a ‘wing’.

The chief designer of Subaru reveals that the concept is really meant to define the direction of the brand in the future. Osamu Namba explains that the Impreza concept embodies the future of the model but also the design language of the entire line-up.

The design language embodied in the new concept Impreza is aiming to unite the design lines of all the models across the Subaru line-up. Critics have pointed out the inconsistencies in the design of the vehicle lineup over the years.

Consumers can expect that the next models of Subaru will take the wider and lower architecture, the hexagonal grille, and the hawk eye headlamps. The bigger rides like the Tribeca and the Outback will most likely get more than one wing on the grille.

During the auto show in Los Angeles, the Impreza concept turned heads and the Japanese carmaker hints that the next gen of vehicles might even use the Sky Silver tone. The car gets a 2.0L boxer powerplant paired with continuously variable gearbox which also defines the future powertrain of the Subaru models.

Details about the Cosworth Edition Subaru were disclosed during the auto show in Geneva. Info about the pricing and photos has also been going around the web prior to its official date of sale. Subaru insiders have revealed though that this version of the Impreza will not reach the US soil.

According to a report filed by Autocar, Cosworth tweaked the car’s flat-4 2.5L engine and fitted it with performance pistons, oil pump, head gasket, con rods, and bearings. Cosworth also reprogrammed the ECU, custom made the exhaust system, and upgraded the blower.

The changes made up the horsepower of the car to 395 horsepower and its torque to a good 398 pound-feet. Now the Impreza WRX STI can zoom from 0 to 60 mph in under 3.7 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.

The suspension of the lowered car features the result of the collaboration between Cosworth and Bilsten & Eibach. The ride also gets AP Racign bespoke brakes with bigger front discs equipped with 6-piston calipers.

Some restyling was done giving the car a reworked front bumper, mesh grille, fog lamps, rear spoiler, and 18-inch alloy wheels. Buyers can get this Impreza in red, silver, and dark gray. The insides feature sport buckets from Recaro, tinted glass, and center console in black piano.

Fans of sporty Subaru wagons can stretch their imagination a bit and beef up the package with some turbochargers and modifications to make the car cooler. The 2010 Legacy GTk concept looks perfect for the track and fit to battle it out in an autocross.

The Legacy GTk is designed to satisfy the cravings of performance enthusiasts who look for something more than a family wagon. The concept car was worked on by SVI or Specialized Vehicles Inc. and features a custom bumper with fog-lights, smoked tail lights, black-out headlights, modified roof, and black-red paint scheme.

The engine was also modified and paired with a manual six-speed transmission. The designers also recalibrated the ECU and modified the exhaust system. All these changes help in liberating about 300 horsepower and a torque of 350 lb-ft from the installed powerplant.

The power is really felt because of other essentials like a short-throw shifter, modified center differential, a suspension kit from Bilstein, and Brembo brake setup.

The WRX STI was specifically designed by the Subaru Performance Tuning team so owners can toy with their ride while at home following the SPT guide. The car has a 315 horspower, 2.5L engine.

The VIP concept, on the other hand, follows a luxury theme inspired by VIP rides in New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. The eye catchers for this one are the huge luxury rims and the very low ride.

The facelift given to the 2010 Outback is better than the shape of the Legacy, but some of the design details are not appreciated by Subaru enthusiasts. There are more things to rejoice for other than good looks it seems, and being best in fuel mileage and being the Top Safety Pick of IIHS are things to be proud of.

To be rated as the Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must pass with flying colors the crash testing of the IIHS which will subject the car to simulated collisions from the rear, side, and front. The vehicle must also have an excellent electronic control for stability.

Subaru celebrates the feat because the recognition from the IIHS comes with vehicles that are lighter or just about the same poundage as previous Subie models.

The Japanese car maker executives pay tribute to their designers and engineers for the Top Safety Pick achievement from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. They see it as proof that they are on the right path in producing not only fun and nice looking cars but safe rides for their consumers.

The light body configuration of the Subaru’s gets the applause for the 31mpg highway mileage fuel efficiency. The lesser pounds work in combo with the 170hp engine with the Lineartronic transmission.

The second appearance for this car was in 1984 at the WRC and the team for this rally had their boss Noreyuki Koseki as the nucleus. For the uninitiated, Koseki was the boss of the STI department of Sabaru. STI means Subaru Technica International. In these two races, the car met with no successes because of their lack of both performance and reliability. Down the years Subaru had a number of famous stars in their lineup including Sekhar Mehta, Ari Vatanen, Mike Kirkland, Per Eklund, Harald Demuth and Possum Bourne.

Even the presence of these star drivers could not change the fortune of Subaru in the rallies. It was only in 1990 that the scenario changed over completely when the Legacy model was launched by Subaru and the company handed over their rally program to the UK based private team, Prodrive. Irrespective of all this, the Subaru had to wait till NZ 1993 to show off its true colors.