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Subaru to drop industrial products, focus on making cars

Subaru, the company formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries, said Monday it is ceasing production of its industrial products after more than 60 years in order to focus on its core automotive business. The change was effective Sept. 30. "By concentrating management resources on Subaru's core automotive business, the company will further reinforce its business structure in the aim of substantially enhancing the Subaru brand and achieving even greater sustainable growth," the company said in a statement. The move appears to mark the culmination of a steady retrenchment from its industrial business. Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. last year announced it was changing its name to Subaru Corp. in order to strengthen the brand and focus on its core automotive and aerospace business. It also moved to integrate its Industrial Products Company within Subaru's automotive business effective Oct. 1, 2016. Subaru is a Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster, and it symbolizes the six companies that merged to form Fuji Heavy Industries in 1953. Subaru's aerospace division is a contractor for the Japan Defense Agency. The automaker's industrial products business began in 1951 when its former Omiya Fuji Industries Co. Ltd. began production of the 540 cc M6 engine. Subaru says its Industrial Products Co. Ltd. affiliate will continue to handle after-sales service of Subaru-built generators, pumps and engines used in construction, agriculture and industrial equipment. The company also says it will cease manufacturing engines for installation in other vehicles as supply contracts expire. Meanwhile, Subaru is busy reorganizing its plant in Lafayette, Ind., to begin production of the Ascent, a three-row, eight-passenger crossover based on its Viziv-7 concept that debuted late last year. Related Video:

2020 Kia Telluride comparison: Specs and pricing versus other 3-row crossovers

The 2020 Kia Telluride is a three-row family crossover that slots into the top spot in Kia's SUV lineup. It does not replace the three-row Sorento — rather, this bigger, more luxurious model is intended for those who need even more space. And that they'll certainly get, because as you'll see below, the Telluride is one of the biggest crossovers on the market. In this comparison of engine specs, dimensions, pricing and photos, we'll take a look at the 2020 Telluride versus the Honda Pilot, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, the all-new 2020 Ford Explorer, and the Telluride's mechanically related cousin, the equally new 2020 Hyundai Palisade. Of course, those just represent one corner of an iceberg that also includes the Mazda CX-9, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Dodge Durango. Passenger space Like most other entries in the three-row segment, the Telluride offers seven- or eight-passenger capacity. The difference is determined by whether you get second-row captain's chairs. Judging by the Telluride's 55.3 inches of third-row shoulder room, it looks like it won't be quite as spacious with three kids across back there as it would be in the Pilot or Ascent. Two inches can make a big difference in this regard. Third-row legroom is very competitive, however, and if it's indeed just as spacious back there as the Pilot and Ascent, two full-sized adults should be able to fit quite comfortably. Its third-row headroom is also quite good, one of the areas in which the Telluride surpasses its otherwise comparably sized Palisade cousin. If you're wondering about second-row space, there's really nothing outstanding to glean from these specs. As expected for this segment, it's huge, with abundant leg- and headroom. There should be no problem fitting child seats. Cargo space The Telluride would seem to have class-leading space behind its raised third-row seat. If we were to guess, this is the result of its rather boxy tailgate and roofline design. This should also help explain why it has more maximum space than all but the Explorer. Space with the third row lowered is middle of the pack, but when you're talking about vehicles this size, the differences in cubic feet behind the second-row ultimately don't matter much. 2020 Kia Telluride View 46 Photos Performance and Fuel Economy The Kia Telluride has the same powertrain as the Hyundai Palisade, although their tuning and consequent driving experience may differ even if their specs are seemingly the same.

NHTSA investigating 33k Subaru Imprezas for airbag sensor flaw

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is beginning an investigation into an estimated 33,500 units of the 2012 Subaru Impreza because of a potential flaw with the sensor for the airbag system. The government agency has 26 complaints about possible faults with the Occupant Detection System for the front passenger seat, and this is the sensor that decides whether a person is an adult, petite, child seat or some other object and adjusts the deployment of the airbag accordingly. However, these reports allege that it was incorrectly turned off when someone was in the vehicle, which caused the airbag not to activate. Subaru put out a Technical Service Bulletin in May 2012 that attempted to address a similar problem. For now, this investigation is classified as a preliminary evaluation and is gathering more data about the potential problem to "assess the scope, frequency, and consequence," according to NHTSA. Related Video: INVESTIGATION Subject : Passenger Front Air Bag Suppression Date Investigation Opened: APR 10, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: PE15012 Component(s): AIR BAGS All Products Associated with this Investigation Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) SUBARU IMPREZA 2012 Details Manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc. SUMMARY: The Office of Defects Investigation has received 26 Vehicle Owner Questionnaire reports involving the passenger frontal air bag in MY 2012 Subaru Impreza vehicles. These vehicles use a capacitive type Occupant Detection System, which is intended to classify the occupant of the passenger seat as either full sized, small stature, a child seat or other object. The reports allege that the Occupant Detection System, failed to operate properly and incorrectly suppressed (turned off) the front passenger air bag when the seat was occupied. In a frontal crash sufficient to warranty deployment, a suppressed air bag may increase the risk of injury to the occupant of the seat. Additionally, ODI notes that Subaru published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) No. 17-16-12 on May 29, 2012 to address conditions with the Occupant Detection System that can lead to suppression of the passenger air bag when the passenger seat is occupied. ODI is opening this this investigation to assess the scope, frequency, and consequence of incorrect air bag suppression and any connection that may exists to the TSB.