2000 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited Sedan on 2040-cars

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Subaru Levorg: Forbidden fruit

For Subaristas, the Levorg needs no introduction. Fans of the marque have been begging Subaru of America (SOA) to bring it over here from the moment it was first introduced. First introduced in Japan a year or so ago, and now making its way across the globe, it is one delicious wagon that SOA refuses to let Americans taste. Why? Wagons don't sell in America, so they say (some Euro-brands might disagree with that). Plus they seem to think they have the wagon market pretty well covered with the Outback, Forester, and to a lesser degree, the Crosstrek. First a bit of history Unlike here in America, at least in recent years, a Legacy wagon continued to exist in other markets. At some point Subaru decided to also delete it from their global portfolio, and to replace it with the smaller, sportier and well-equipped Levorg. The thinking was that the Levorg would be more distinct from the Outback than a Legacy wagon, and would be less likely to step on the Outback's toes in terms of searching for customers; makes sense. Another point needs to be made: Subaru is selling at record levels. They just can't make them fast enough as they are constrained by lack of production capacity. That will improve soon as the next-gen Impreza will be built in their Indiana plant this fall once the Toyota Camry production moves out. So, at the moment, they don't need the Levorg to improve sales. Down the road that may be a different situation, but for now adding another model line would be tough and of little benefit. Why America needs the Levorg When Subaru introduced the current generation WRX they deleted the hatchback — which accounted for 50 percent of WRX sales. Needless to say WRX 5-door owners were outraged — and continue to be so. The Levorg wagon could be the perfect answer for these folks, as shares many parts with the WRX. In Japan it's available with a new 1.6L direct-injection turbo as well as the same 2.0L direct-injection turbo found in the WRX. Other markets, to date, only get the 1.6L engine. All Levorgs have CVTs, with the 2.0 versions getting the high-torque CVT found in the WRX CVT. The chassis setup, while a tad softer, is very close to that of the WRX. So it is definitely a car that's cut out for canyon-carving. It's also more upscale than the WRX, with an interior more akin to luxurious trim levels of the Legacy and Outback. In its defense Subaru has claimed that the budget did not allow for developing both the Levorg and a 5-door WRX.

Subaru, like Nissan, admits improper checks on Japan cars, expects recalls

TOKYO — Subaru on Friday said it had failed to follow proper inspection procedures for vehicles for the domestic market, an issue likely to result in a product recall and adding to a list of compliance problems at Japanese companies. The automaker said for more than 30 years, final inspections of new vehicles at its main Gunma complex north of Tokyo were sometimes conducted by inspectors who were not listed as certified technicians, violating transport ministry requirements. The automaker said it was therefore considering recalling about 255,000 vehicles including its Legacy, Forester and Impreza models produced at the complex and sold at home, at a cost of around 5 billion yen ($43.86 million). Chief Executive Officer Yasuyuki Yoshinaga at a news conference said inspectors in training for certification to sign off final checks had been approving the checks under the names of their trainers, a process the automaker followed for over 30 years without realizing it did not meet ministry requirements. "The final inspection process is very important and we acknowledge that we did not meet requirements," Yoshinaga said. "It's always been my goal to make this company good. This issue shows that we're not there yet." Subaru said it would report details of an internal investigation to the ministry on Monday, and that it needed to better communicate requirements to workers. "It's always been my goal to make this company good. This issue shows that we're not there yet." The revelation followed a similar oversight at Nissan, while Kobe Steel has been grappling with a data fabrication scandal, tarnishing Japan's reputation for quality control. Yoshinaga said the issue was discovered during an internal inspection ordered by the ministry after Nissan late last month revealed similar violations on inspections governing vehicles sold in Japan at its domestic factories. The ministry requires certified technicians to sign off on paperwork for final inspections for vehicles produced in Japan for the domestic market. The extra step does not affect product quality and is not needed for vehicles exported overseas. Toyota, Honda and other Japanese automakers on Friday said they have reported to the ministry that they found no issues with their respective inspections. Subaru shares closed down 2.6 percent on Friday after falling more than 3 percent following media reports of the improper inspections. The broader market rose 1.2 percent.

Subaru WRX S4 gets big power bump in Japan

A month after originally teasing it, Subaru is finally unveiling its WRX S4 model for Japan. It's a bit more than just a plush take on the sport sedan, because Subaru is fitting a more powerful version of the 2.0-liter, turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine than we get on these shores.
The company says that S4 stands for "'Sports performance', 'Safety performance', 'Smart driving' and 'Sophisticated feel," and it certainly looks like this Rex ticks all of those boxes. The most surprising feature is the Japanese model's 2.0-liter turbo engine boasting 296 horsepower (221 kilowatts) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) of torque in this application. That's quite a healthy upgrade over the 268 hp and 258 lb-ft that Americans get in the standard WRX, and it's even nipping at the heels of the 305 hp and 290 lb-ft from the STI with a 2.5-liter mill that we get over here.
While extra power is always welcome, enthusiasts might not be so thrilled that Subaru's Sport Lineartronic Continuously Variable Transmission is the sedan's only available gearbox. However, it offers a simulated eight-speed shifting mode when drivers notch the car into Sport# driving mode. Of course, the S4 also packs Subie's trademark all-wheel drive with Vehicle Dynamics Control and Active Torque Vectoring as standard.