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Subaru calls Forester Ultimate Customised Kit Special edition 'an unfortunate situation'

UPDATE: Subaru of America reportedly found it necessary to disavow itself from the Forester Ultimate Customised Kit Special edition that was displayed at this year's Singapore Motor Show. According to The Drive, the automaker sent a letter to its American dealership network to explain that it "had nothing to do with this" and that "it obviously goes without saying that this car will not be available in the United States market." Lead image courtesy of imgur. Subaru likely brought several serious concepts to this year's Singapore Motor Show. We sincerely hope that this is not one of them.  Meet the Forester Ultimate Customised Kit Special edition (little "e"). If you're old enough to be on the Internet, you certainly know exactly where this is going, and it's not anywhere appropriate.  In this lighting, it's hard to tell, but the F***S edition appears to be finished in Subaru's World Rally Blue, and the pin-striping is very likely STI's signature cherry blossom pink, but we frankly cannot tear our eyes away from the podium, which is emblazoned with the custom Forester's name. As Top Gear Philippines points out, it's otherwise a fairly generic show car. From the body kit that gives it a low-slung attitude to the custom paint work, nothing about the F***S edition appears out of the ordinary. It's even rocking a set of 20-inch Enkei wheels over yellow brake calipers.  We're not sure what exactly is going on under the hood, but we wouldn't be surprised to find the normal host of bolt-on factory and aftermarket power-adders, or maybe even a full-blown STI powertrain just for extra cred.  Inside, it has yet more of the trappings of a run-of-the-mill SEMA build. A huge touchscreen up front controls a custom audio system backed up by Focal amplifiers and a subwoofer. There's custom blue ambient lighting in the front cabin and a set of tablet-style monitors for rear passenger entertainment.  The execution leads us to believe that either its builders had no clue, or they simply gave no... well... you know. 

2019 Subaru Ascent crossover revealed | Big and not so bold

Just over a year after Subaru first indicated its intention to build a three-row crossover with the Viziv-7, we now get to see the end product, the 2019 Ascent. Compared with the Viziv-7 and the Ascent concept, the basic shape remains, but all of the rugged, square-shouldered detailing has been toned way down. The body is now full of soft, inoffensive lines that result in it looking more like a blown-up Outback than its own thing. It's not a bad-looking vehicle, but it isn't quite as bold as we hoped. Under the skin is a brand-new engine in the Subaru lineup. It uses a turbocharged and intercooled 2.4-liter flat-four, and the turbo is a twin-scroll unit. It produces 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque, and will help the Ascent tug on up to 5,000 pounds of whatever you want to tow. The engine is mated to a CVT that can be shifted manually through eight preset ratios via steering-wheel paddles. Power goes to all four wheels, as is the Subaru way. All Ascents also come with the X-Mode off-road setting and hill descent control, as well as 8.7 inches of ground clearance. In the cabin, Ascents can be had with seating for up to eight people. All models come standard with a second-row bench seat, while Premium trim and higher can be had with second-row captain's chairs at no extra cost. Passengers can take advantage of three-zone automatic climate control, with redundant controls for the second row. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard equipment along with a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system that can be optioned up to an 8-inch. As for cargo space, there's 19.6 cubic feet behind the third row, over 40 cubic feet behind the second row, and about 72 cubic feet with both rows folded. Drivers will also be able to take advantage of standard EyeSight with automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control. The 2019 Ascent goes on sale next summer. Subaru has not yet announced pricing. View 16 Photos Related Video:

Subaru Levorg STI Sport should get us closer to the future WRX

At the Tokyo Motor Show, Subaru showed a "prototype" of the next-generation Levorg, itself a Japanese-market wagon derivative of the Subaru WRX sedan. While it gave us a good idea of what to expect from the next WRX, the Levorg STI Sport that will be shown at Tokyo Auto Salon in January should give us an even better look at the hot Subaru we'll get. This is based on the fact that among current Levorg trims, the STI Sport has a front bumper fascia that's more aggressive and that echoes the design of the WRX, whereas the standard trim is more mellow. So far, Subaru has only released a teaser video of the sportier Levorg. It shows STI badging on the back of the car and on the exhaust tips. There's also a glimpse of the tachometer that shows a redline of just over 6,000 rpm. Since that's lower than the WRX's turbo 2.0-liter engine's 6,500-rpm redline, this is probably the new 1.8-liter turbocharged engine Subaru announced will replace the current base turbo 1.6. It will probably make at least 170 horsepower to match the outgoing model. Based on the current STI Sport engine offerings, this should be the base engine, while the WRX's turbocharged FA20 will be an option. The full reveal of the Levorg STI Sport will come on January 10. Expect further details on mechanical changes as well, which will hopefully include information on a more powerful engine that could appear in the WRX. We wouldn't be surprised if it ended up using a slightly updated version of the current WRX's 2.0-liter FA20 engine, since even the WRX STI is expected to get a more powerful - probably over 300 horsepower - version of that same engine.