2004 Subaru Legacy L 35th Anniversary Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Subaru plans to electrify entire range by the middle of the 2030s

Nipping infinite rumors in the bud, Subaru confirmed the Outback, the Forester, the BRZ, the WRX STI, and every other car it makes will go utilize some form of electrified powertain or disappear by the middle of the 2030s. The Japanese automaker announced it plans to kick exclusively gasoline-powered cars out of its global portfolio in about 15 years' time. The announcement comes in the wake of ever-stricter emissions regulations around the globe, notably in China and in the European Union. The firm isn't going to turn the tap off overnight, though. Toyota owns an 8.7% stake in Subaru, and the two partners are jointly developing a pair of electric cars due out during the 2020s. Others will inevitably follow. By 2030, hybrid and electric models will represent at least 40% of Subaru's annual global output. In the meantime, Subaru is funneling an immense amount of money into adapting Toyota's hybrid technology to its vehicles. The gasoline-electric variant of the Crosstrek introduced in 2018 a product of this collaboration. Executives outlined plans to release a "strong hybrid" again built with Toyota parts, though they stopped short of providing more details. They also stressed their goal isn't to achieve mere badge-engineering. "Although we're using Toyota technology, we want to make hybrids that are distinctly Subaru. It's not only about reducing CO2 emissions. We need to further improve vehicle safety and the performance of our all-wheel drive," affirmed Tetsuo Onuki, Subaru's chief technology officer, during a briefing Reuters attended. His comments suggest all-wheel drive will continue to define the members of Subaru's range in the electric-only era. The configuration has been one of the brand's strongest selling points for decades, and it helped it grow from a niche brand peddling obscure cars to a major mainstream automaker in the United States, so giving it up would be marketing suicide. The horizontally-opposed engine is Subaru's second signature, it's what the C-shaped daytime running lights seen on its cars are inspired by, but Onuki confirmed it will no longer be the only way Subarus are motivated.

2020 Subaru Ascent: An update in a minor key

With the Subaru Ascent, Volkswagen Atlas, and Kia Telluride recently joining the field, the three-row SUV segment is as competitive as ever, so value is key to attracting buyers. For 2020, Subaru is keeping the Ascent's pricing the same but is adding a few new tricks. Albeit minor tricks, but new tricks nonetheless. The most notable addition to the Ascent range is Rear Seat Reminder. Every 2020 Ascent will come standard with the increasingly common technology, which alerts the driver to check the rear seat for a pup, a child or both. The system operates not by sensors, but on the recognition of specific scenarios. If the SUV is started within 30 minutes of a rear door being opened and closed, it will go off. If the rear doors are opened and closed when the Ascent is running but stationary, it will go off. If the vehicle is turned off and on within 30 minutes and the rear doors stay closed, it will go off. If the Ascent registers any of these conditions, the driver will be notified with a noise and a warning message once the vehicle is turned off. Subaru offers the Ascent in four different trim levels: Base, Premium, Limited and Touring. For the 2020 model year, Premium, Limited and Touring trims will come equipped with "one-touch interior illumination on/off controls." The Touring trim also adds new power-folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals. Despite the minor upgrades, Subaru is maintaining the same pricing for the 2020 Ascent as the 2019 model. The Base trim starts at $33,005, the Premium trim starts at $35,405, the Limited trim starts at $40,355, and the loaded Touring trim starts at $46,055. As mentioned in our review, the Subaru Ascent is a solid, though not the best, option in the three-row game. It's offered in seven- or eight-passenger configurations, has 8.7 inches of ground clearance, is rated to tow 5,000 pounds, comes standard with Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive, and is powered by a 260-horsepower turbocharged Boxer engine that makes 277 pound-feet of torque. The 2020 update makes it a tiny bit better.

Porsche Taycan is here, Lamborghini Sian is near | Autoblog Podcast #594

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Alex Kierstein and Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. They start the conversation with the cars they've been driving, including the Subaru Forester, Lincoln Navigator, Mercedes-AMG C 43 and Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. Then they talk about the biggest news of the week: the reveal of the all-electric Porsche Taycan. After that, they sweep up other news, like the Lamborghini Sian, new Nissan Juke and the Aston Martin Vanquish 25 by Ian Callum. Next, Autoblog's Erik Meier, who both produces this very podcast and also hosts our Twitch livestream, joins the chat with his impressions of the latest racing game, "WRC 8." Finally, our editors try to provide some helpful guidance in the "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #594 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2019 Subaru Forester 2019 Lincoln Navigator 2019 Mercedes-AMG C 43 Coupe 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Porsche unveils 2020 Taycan Turbo and Turbo S 2020 Lamborghini Sian Next-generation Nissan Juke Aston Martin Vanquish 25 by Ian Callum Autoblog plays "WRC 8" Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:     Green Podcasts Toys/Games Aston Martin Lamborghini Lincoln Mercedes-Benz Nissan Porsche Subaru Used Car Buying Coupe Crossover SUV Electric Hybrid Performance