Aside from a passel of Jeeps, the odd Toyota, and a few hulking pickups, the population of new vehicles that traffic in off-pavement readiness right off the showroom floor is limited. Except, that is, at the Subaru store. In 2012, the company’s sales accounted for barely two percent of the U.S. market; that’s a profitable, 267,000-vehicle sliver of the market that Subaru has been cultivating for years. Its succession of cars, wagons, and semi-SUVs have earned reputations for being solid, dependable, kind of different, and fashionably anodyne. Think of Subaru as dishing up the comfort food of the car biz, sort of mom’s meatloaf with all-wheel drive.
Every so often, Subaru spices up its menu with something more appetizing than its usual bland-but-filling fare. The rear-drive BRZ sports coupe is the most exciting of these in recent memory, but the new XV Crosstrek 2.0i fills the bill, too, although in a diametrically opposite way. Originally conceived as a downsized (relative to U.S. dimensions) SUV for the European market, the Crosstrek is based on the Impreza Sport five-door hatchback. Its silhouette is conventionally crossover, with a tapering tailgate as opposed to the more squared-off, wagonish style of the Forester. It’s a bulldoggy look accentuated by flat-black wheel surrounds and rocker panels, black-and-silver 17-inch wheels, squinty headlights, and a stubby nose.
All-Weather Plodder from the Clearance Rack
What really gives it rough-road cred is 8.7 inches of ground clearance, 2.9 inches more than a regular Impreza. All-weather capability is a traditional Subaru attribute that helps account for its popularity in the sleet-and-snow states. In normal, decent-weather driving, the high stance doesn’t influence ride or handling much—the jacked-up XV’s lateral skidpad grip was a respectable 0.81 g, just .04 less than the street-level Impreza Sport and stickier than a Honda CR-V we tested. The Crosstrek’s handling is essentially transparent; it goes around corners and in a straight line without making either a negative or positive impression, although it is capable enough to handle aggressive driving. The electrically assisted steering is accurate if somewhat uncommunicative, the braking is without drama, and the ride is closer to that of a family sedan than a four-wheel-drive soft roader.
At 8.1 seconds to 60 mph, the XV’s accelerative talents are about what you’d expect from a 2.0-liter flat-four making 148 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. And while the 0–60 number isn’t likely to inspire confidence in a green-light face-off or while merging onto an interstate, it makes this Subie a tad more spritely than heavier compact crossovers such as the CR-V (8.5 seconds) and Mazda CX-5 (9.2). Like they say, it’s all relative. Our test car had a five-speed manual. Weak though it may be, there is a plus side to this 2.0-liter engine: Subaru claims that (with a CVT) it yields among the highest fuel economy of any all-wheel-drive crossover in America, with EPA ratings of 25 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. The estimates for our five-speed manual test car are 23/30.
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- hybrid cars with 9 inch ground clearance
- Essential Rivals: Mazda6, Honda Accord, Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Subaru Legacy
- Power: 2.5L inline-four 170 hp, turbocharged one.6L EcoBoost inline-four 179 hp, turbocharged 2.0L EcoBoost inline-4 237 hp.
- Transmission: 6-speed automatic, 6-speed manual (one.6L only)
- Efficiency: TBD
- Pricing: TBD
- Availability: Second half of 2012 (est.)
Kicking off the press conferences earlier this morning at the 2012 North American International Automobile Show was Ford Motor Business and the globe debut of the all-new, 2013 Ford Fusion mid-sized sedan
Fully redesigned using Ford of Europe’s now tested and established global design and style language, which they familiarly contact Kinetic Design, the new Fusion is a massive improvement over the preceding generation. Heck, I’m tempted to say that it looks as good as the Jaguar XF at some angles.
For the 1st time ever as properly, the all-new Fusion is the first American sedan to offer a full range of gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Unfortunately nonetheless, no lengthier is there a V6 alternative for this new hybrid, which could be a little disappointing for those of us who like electrical power.
The base engine is a naturally aspirated two.5L inline-four that is very good for 170hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. Next is a turbocharged one.6L EcoBoost four-banger that generates 179 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque and the best efficiency mill would be the turbocharged 2.0L EcoBoost 4-pot great for 237 hp and a quite hefty 250 lb-ft of torque.
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At the Frankfurt auto show, we chatted with Subaru about its plans to drastically increase the fuel efficiency of its cars while maintaining their current levels of dynamics. The Japanese company says it wants to improve fuel economy across its lineup by 30 percent by 2015. New engines and revised transmissions will contribute to two-thirds of the increase, while lightweight body and chassis technology will provide the rest.
1.6- and 2.0-Liter Direct-Injected Turbos
Turbocharged, lower-displacement engines are today’s new hotness for achieving improved efficiency—Ford’s EcoBoost technology is the most marketed example—but for most companies, widespread turbocharging is new. Subaru, on the other hand, has extensive forced-induction experience and intends to put that knowledge to work. The new-for-2012 Impreza sedan’s new, naturally aspirated 2.0-liter flat-four is part of a new FB engine family (click here for a dive into the new engine), as is the Forester’s current 2.5-liter flat-four. While the 2.0-liter has boosted the new Impreza’s fuel-economy numbers significantly—the Forester saw only minor gains—Subaru plans to add direct injection (which we’re told nets a two-percent reduction in fuel consumption on its own) and turbocharging to the FB mix in the near future, both to the 2.0-liter and a new 1.6-liter variant.
Turbo BRZ? Maybe, but Not Yet
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Posted by admin on 07 Jan 2011
The 2013 Subaru Legacy has been awarded the “yellow metal” prize by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the direct collisions and side on crashes. From the very same tests performed by the National Highway Traffic safety Administration it gained 5 stars out of a maximum of 5. The cottage of the car is lovely and it features an intelligent design. When it comes to the 2 doors version, a couple of people can be sitting down in the backseat; however, there is not enough shoulder and legroom for 2 grown-ups to be pleasantly seated.
The 2013 Subaru Legacy is a midsized sedan. It can be for sale in 6 versions, 2.5i Special Edition, 2.5i, 2.5i Limited, 2.5 GT spec B, 2.5 GT Limited and 3.0 R Limited. The 2.5i Special Edition, 2.5i and 2.5i Limited models are operated by a 2.5 Liter 4 cylinder motor which has 175 horsepower with 169 pound feets of torque. All the 3 versions come with the 5 speed manual transmission. GT spec B and GT Limited versions are powered with a 2.5 Liter turbocharged 4 cylinder engine which has a rating of 241 pound-feet of torque and 243 horsepower. GT Limited comes with a 5 speed, also manual transmission, although the GT spec B version is coming with a 6 speed manual transmission. 3.0 R Limited versions are operated by the 3.0 Liter engine which is rated at 215 pound of torque and 245 horsepower. 3.0 R Limited versions come with a 5 speed semi-automatic or fully automatic transmission. These cars’ closest rivals would be the Oldsmobile Alero, Audi A4 and the Volvo V70.
Legacy 2.5i model comes with air-conditioning, 17 inch tires, a stereo system having a MP3/ CD player which has an extra input jack port, a steering wheel which has tilt and telescopic, keyless entry, a trip technology and powered accessories. 2.5i Special Edition is equipped with a driver chair that is electrically powered, and it has a splendid moon roof. The 2013 Legacy 2.5i Limited has seat designs manufactured from leather, outside mirrors and front chairs heated, a double area climate control system along with a stereo system which has a CD player perfectly located on the dash panel. Legacy 2.5 GT Limited receives larger sized brakes, a restricted slip rear differential system, sport chairs which are bolstered, as well as a Momo steering wheel having three spokes.
The 2013 Subaru Legacy is designed with side airbags for the front seat, anti lock disk brakes and also curtain airbags along the side of the car.
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