40 replies to this topic

[aekOne]

Subaru has announced a new concept car will be revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month. The concept will be the first vehicle to embody a new brand philosophy called "Confidence in Motion".

With this new philosophy, Subaru wants to focus on more continuous product development and bring more products to market while anticipating customer needs faster and being more proactive with environmental issues. Subaru also underlies the statement with a focus on engineering excellence for a higher level of innovation.

Although it's not clear what tangible attributes will come from this new attitude, it does sound like Subaru may be catching up with the times and concentrating more on hybrid, battery electric and possibly alternative fuel powertrains. Ultimately, Subaru is trying to improve the brand's image and taking this environmentally friendly approach certainly can't hurt.

Subaru has given no further details about the L.A. concept. We can only guess by the teaser photo that it's a preview of the next generation Impreza, which is due in 2012, and it could possibily be packing hybrid/electric powertrain technology from Toyota.

This info and more can be found at: http://www.worldcarfans.com

[Delete This Account]

That side on view looks like the new Camaro.

[Nicko_]

That side on view looks like the new Camaro.

Yeah with a fat rear end

[Morgan]

???

[Dylan]

Great.

Another stupid 'eco' car that apparently will save the world. Pity it costs more in energy to build than a diesel or petrol car.

If Subaru attempt to borrow any technology close to that of the Prius, they are really putting a foot in the wrong direction.

Nobody wants electric cars, if anything it needs to be hydrogen. Even that is a fair way off becoming the norm. with all the oil companys having such a say in the automotive industry.

Will be interested to see what happens, given that it's in L.A. though a Subaru badged Prius won't surpise me any.

[aekOne]

you do realize it's just a concept, not a preview?

More speculation here...

"The picture here does not show Subaru's new sports car -- the car to be built on the platform shared with Toyota's FT-86. It's clear from the teaser pic that Subaru has supplied that this vehicle is much more cab-forward and its wheel arches give the game away also.

Subaru will unveil the new design concept featured in this pic at the LA motor show from November 18 (our time), but while the teaser pic is enticing enough, could it be the drivetrain technology that will provide the real news?

Subaru's press release mentions the company's last concept car, the gull-wing hybrid tourer that made its debut at the Tokyo motor show last year. Is that a hint that the LA concept will also feature a hybrid-drive system -- or some other alternative energy powertrain? Car companies can hardly introduce a new concept and ignore the public's current fascination with the environment. Subaru's reliance on CVT (continuously variable transmission) technology and its strategic alliance with Toyota leaves room for a uniquely all-wheel drive hybrid production vehicle down the track. It's hard to conceive that the LA concept won't be a technical exercise as well as a design exercise.

The design study looks low slung and seems to bear some Mazda styling traits. Around the roofline and hind quarters it resembles -- to our eyes -- the profile of the first-generation Mazda6.

Presuming the size of wheels will be 20 or 22-inch for the motor show, the wheel arches provide limited sense of scale. Based on the clues dropped by the pic, we're betting it will be a hardtop-style sedan in the mode of the Mercedes-Benz CLS or Volkswagen Passat CC, but smaller again. The roofline doesn't look flat enough to lend itself to gullwing doors like the Tokyo concept's. We would speculate that it will be proportioned similarly to a Mazda RX-8, but on a slightly larger scale.

If we're right about the size of the car, it will probably be larger than Impreza, but smaller than Liberty, in which case the concept is unlikely to be a production reality in the short term -- or ever. That then hints that the concept is a pointer to future styling directions for Subaru."

[Dylan]

Good info. Sounds like a waste of time anyway, I really don't think the future of cars is in hybrid electronic ones though. Definately not where they are at with them now anyway (Prius).

[Shiv]

Given Subaru's recent design direction - this is probably as much of the car as we would want to see...

[aekOne]

i agree that the prius technology isn't the answer but surely it's an evolutionary process to get technologies up to where they need to be. we didn't go from ham radio to led tv over night, it takes time

[Shiv]

i agree that the prius technology isn't the answer but surely it's an evolutionary process to get technologies up to where they need to be.

Thats right Aek, and not only that - but Subaru can't afford to allow Toyota and Honda to dominate that "green" market over there otherwise they'll be playing catch up. Its important they release something soon (even if its crap) because there is certainly a market for it (particularly in the States) and can help give them that green image thats so hot these days...

[Alex]

Needs more Garrett.

[Delete This Account]

None of their concepts have won me over in the past:








This one's alright:



Needs a bigger door...

[Soop]

Could you imagine if that went into production?

15yrs later the gas struts are dead, and instead of getting a bump on the head you get cut in half.
Who keeps feeding Subaru designers bad acid?

As for the Prius, I've had the misfortune of driving one. They're only economical if you know how to drive them to be so, which means getting out and pushing them up to 10km/h (That and they can barely do it under their own steam), If you don't drive like a total dickweed they use as much fuel as any other 4cyl in the same displacement category.

[Alex]

Needs more Garrett.

This.

[Soop]

Looks the same, except the Subaru is powered by gay.

[twinturbosubaru]

Interesting comments, I heard that Subaru are developing a performance orientated diesel which would sit in the WRX and similar slots, so expected to be in performance spec Legacy, Impreza, and Forester I suppose.
I think that this would make a lot of sense as you could build something that went great when hyped up and was still good on fuel all the time, but you could easily dull it down for lower spec models and still achieve low fuel consumption and good power and torque.

To be honest, I would by a diesel STi tomorrow if it put out 500nm of torque and 200kw of power, both of which I reckon are easily achievable these days whilst still returning under 7 or 8 litres per hundred kays on a mixed highway/city cycle.
If you take a look at European diesels, you can get some seriously crazy chips for those things, like 350BHP from a 1.9L Fiat turbo diesel, not to mention the BMW's and Audi's, some crazy figures achievable pretty easily now they are pushing hard with direct injection and as the injection fuel pressure goes through the roof, 2200 PSI in some vehicles now, that's some serious atomization and efficiency !

I can even see diesel Subaru's now with the S drive, 5 LPH on basic mode, 8 LPH on sport sharp :-)

Regards
Paul

[Richo]

[Soop]

Well thats..... gross.

[Delete This Account]

Well thats..... gross.

Better than your Commodore.

[Soop]

No, no its not. Not by a long shot.
The front end looks like a bad body kit of Need for speed underground.