2014 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited on 2040-cars

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2020 Subaru Legacy, Outback earn IIHS safety picks

The redesigned 2020 Subaru Legacy sedan and Outback wagon both earned kudos from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but the news was not equally good for both models. The Legacy sedan walked away with the highest award, Top Safety Pick+. The Outback was one rung down, a Top Safety Pick. Sadly for the Outback, the previous, 2019 model had nabbed the TSP+ score. Why the difference in the Legacy and Outback? In a word: headlights. The IIHS structures their awards around several elements: crash tests, crash-avoidance systems, and headlights. Both Subarus aced their crash tests, earning Good results for the entire battery of tests (small and moderate front overlap on both sides, roof crush, side-impact, and head-restraints). Their standard EyeSight accident-avoidance automated emergency braking systems also performed well, successfully avoiding crashes at 12 and 25 mph, netting Superior ratings. (The pedestrian-detection function similarly earned a Superior rating, although pedestrian detection doesn't count toward the IIHS total score.) Headlights have to earn a Good rating in order for a car to qualify for TSP+; headlights deemed merely Acceptable limit a car to a maximum TSP award. Headlights that are Marginal or lower knock a car out of TSP contention. The Legacy's optional curve-adaptive headlights were deemed Good, while those same headlights in the Outback were only Acceptable, resulting in the different awards for the two models. For both cars, the base headlights also were Acceptable, meaning either model with the standard headlights would be a TSP (except that the IIHS grants a single model only its higher-level award).

Subaru to introduce two e-Boxer hybrids at Geneva

Subaru will be bringing two electrified "e-Boxer" models to the Geneva Motor Show next month, as Autocar reports. While the manufacturer hasn't announced which models these electrified cars will be, it is likely that at least one of them will be the e-Boxer version of the Forester, which Subaru showed at the 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon. Another possible model for the Geneva unveiling can be the Crosstrek's hybrid version, branded XV for the European market. The hybrid Crosstrek is Subaru's first PHEV model, and it uses Toyota's 8.8-kWh battery pack mated to a 2.0-liter boxer engine. Subaru is relatively late to the hybrid game, as some competing Japanese carmakers have had hybrid cars on the market for a long time already, and only in recent years has Subaru put hybrid models for sale outside Japan. But by being able to mate electric power with its trademark boxer engine powertrain, Subaru can remain "on-brand" while still utilizing hybrid technology, instead of going with a regular four cylinder inline engine as is popular with hybrid powertrains. Still, the Japanese market Forester STI e-Boxer only produces a combined 156 horsepower and 187 lb-ft of torque, figures that seem modest compared to a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine, for example. But with Subaru's diesel exercise just a decade-long, select-market enterprise, and with diesel on the outs these days, hybrid seems a better bet, especially in the North American market. Related Video:

Subaru moves to trademark the name ... Evoltis

Subaru's advancing to the electrified frontier, and it's reportedly picking a name for its plug-in hybrid. That name is said to be "Evoltis." While Evoltis sounds about as engaging as "Avensis" (Toyota) or "Magentis" (Kia), at least it's not as clunky as "Levorg" (an Aussie Subaru nameplate). Then again, when naming a child you should always try to picture how their name will be used in playground taunts, so we'll leave your to your imaginations on this one. A mention of the Evoltis name appears in the United States Patent and Trademark Office's listings, and the application has been filed as recently as March 26. We don't know yet whether the Evoltis name would stand for the entire vehicle or its hybrid tech — or if it will be actually used at all. Car & Driver reports that Subaru of America didn't comment on the matter when asked. But still, Subaru is said to come up with a PHEV by the end of the year, largely using Toyota's technology from the Prius Prime. We're probably not the only ones to hope for an all-wheel-drive setup, which would best suit Subaru's image and character. Last year, the carmaker said an electrified vehicle should be expected for 2018, but didn't specify whether it would be an EV or a hybrid. Subaru hasn't offered a hybrid in the U.S. since the Crosstrek Hybrid was discontinued in 2016, and it's produced precious few all-electric vehicles in its history. Related Video: