2015 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Seeing the sights with Subaru EyeSight's Touring Assist | Autoblog in Japan

Autoblog recently went to Japan to drive cars, ride trains, and talk to carmakers about automotive history and the future of mobility. This video is part of a larger series of special reports from Japan. TOKYO — The interesting thing about Subaru's EyeSight technology is that — like its name suggests — it relies mostly on the stereoscopic color cameras located behind the rear-view mirror that scan the road ahead of the car. We've had EyeSight available here in the U.S. for years now, controlling features like pre-collision braking and throttle control, and adaptive cruise control. The cameras can detect vehicles, pedestrians and lane markings, and judge their distance. It uses color images to recognize brake lights, which add another piece of important input when making critical life-or-death decisions. New for Japan, though, is an EyeSight upgrade called Touring Assist. Touring Assist builds upon the capabilities of EyeSight with more robust lane tracing, adaptive cruise control and steering assist. Before expending to other markets or other models, Touring Assist is only available on the Subaru Levorg and WRX in Japan. The capabilities of lane tracing have been expanded for use at any speed, rather than just over 37 miles per hour. Additionally, Touring Assist adds automated steering to help keep you in your lane. This uses the cameras not just to read and adhere to the lane markings but, at speeds of up to 37 mph, to also follow the car in front of you. Touring Assist doesn't allow for fully autonomous driving, but its driver assistance features automate certain functions in specific conditions, theoretically making driving safer and easier. It's a step toward fully autonomous driving, a technological foundation upon which self-driving systems can expand. We arrived in Japan in spring, expecting to see streets lined with cherry blossoms. Instead, we were met with a frigid downpour that later turned to snow on our first full day in Tokyo. While not ideal conditions for our first time driving in Tokyo traffic — or driving on the left side of the road in a right-hand-drive car — it allowed us to test out Touring Assist in less-than-perfect conditions. Check out the video above to see how that went. In all, we were pretty impressed with Touring Assist. What would have been a fraught drive in a foreign country on the wrong side of the road in crappy weather and heavy congestion was actually pretty relaxed and enjoyable.

2014 Subaru Forester XT

Hitting The Mainstream Sweet Spot
The Forester does quite a bit of heavy lifting for Subaru. What was once a plucky little all-wheel-drive utility box has matured into a competitive crossover that accounts for a quarter of the company's total sales in the US. With those numbers continuing to swell even in the third generation's twilight hours, engineers and designers found themselves in the unenviable position of being asked to fix what ain't broke. Rather than reinvent the company's workhorse from the ground up, as we say in our first look at the CUV, Subaru honed the Forester to offer better fuel efficiency, more usable space and a more refined drive.
In doing so, the automaker hopes to toe that delicate line between luring in new devotees to the cult of Pleiades and keeping the brand's longtime fans smiling. While the fourth-generation Forester may have lost some of its trademark pluckiness in the pursuit of a more mainstream existence, there's no denying this is a more sorted vehicle than its predecessors. Make no mistake, the 2014 Forester is keen to carve out a larger chunk of the ever-plumping CUV market for itself, and for the first time in its history, it has the muscle to do so.

Subaru is bringing a trio of STI concepts to the Tokyo Auto Salon

The Tokyo Auto Salon is almost upon us (or our Japanese counterparts at any rate), and Subaru has no intention of sitting it out. To that end, its performance division Subaru Tecnica International is preparing a slate of new show cars for the tuner expo. Of the trio that STI has in store for the show, the only one it is showing us so far is the STI Performance Concept pictured above – and we've already seen that one. Based on the BRZ and festooned with all manner of performance upgrades (and an enticing matte blue wrap), it was presented at the New York Auto Show this past April. But there are two more that we have not seen yet. Most intriguing is the proposed XV Hybrid STI Concept, but ostensibly combines the rugged approach of the XV Crosstrek – in hybrid spec no less – with the performance upgrades we've come to expect from the WRX STI. Where STI show cars typically appear in blue, this one is slated to appear in white with orange accents and an interior in orange and beige. It still promises a slew of aero enhancements, along with an upgraded suspension. Alongside the BRZ and XV concepts will be a Levorg STI as well, based on the wagon that Subaru sells in Japan and Europe. This one'll appear in WR Blue Pearl with a sportier front end, 18-inch alloys, specific dampers, and a two-tone interior in burgundy and black. Joining the concepts at the Subaru stand will be a quartet of racing models – two based on the BRZ and two on the WRX STI. Related Video: Exhibition Outline of Tokyo Auto Salon 2016 Tokyo, December 24, 2015 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), together with Subaru Tecnica International Inc. (STI)*1, announced its exhibition at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon 2016 with NAPAC (Japan Car Parts and Aftermarket Promotion Association), which will be held January 15th to 17th, 2016 at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba prefecture. At the Subaru booth will be concept models such as the "STI Performance Concept" which signifies STI's core business areas, "Levorg STI Concept" and "Subaru XV Hybrid STI Concept". The "WRX STI NBR Challenge 2016", a racing car for 24 Hours Nurburgring endurance race in 2016 and the "Subaru BRZ GT300 2016" for Super GT race will also be exhibited. At the press conference on January 15th, 2016 Subaru Motorsport Activities will be announced. The special site for Subaru Auto salon (http://www.subaru.jp/tas2016/) will be opened.