2014 Subaru Wrx Wagon on 2040-cars

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Cadillac CT5-V, XT6 and more power to the Subarus | Autoblog Podcast #616

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski to talk about driving the new Cadillac CT5-V, as well as the XT6. Then they discuss the news about the Subaru WRX STI and Subaru Crosstrek getting more power. Finally, they take the time to reflect on the Chevy Impala, which passes on into the annals of history. Autoblog Podcast #616 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Driving the 2020 Cadillac CT5-V Driving the 2020 Cadillac XT6 2021 Subaru WRX STI getting more power? 2021 Subaru Crosstrek getting more power Saying farewell to the Chevrolet Impala Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

2021 Subaru Crosstrek is finally getting a more powerful engine

Subaru will address one of the Crosstrek's biggest shortcomings by making a 2.5-liter flat-four engine available in time for the 2021 model year. It will power the range-topping Limited trim and a new Sport-badged model. You asked, and the Japanese company is listening. Tom Doll, the CEO of Subaru's American division, told industry trade journal Automotive News that many customers have complained about the 152-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that has powered the current-generation Crosstrek since its launch. Put bluntly: It's slow.  "One of the things that our customers were telling us about the Crosstrek was it was maybe a little underpowered with the 2.0-liter engine. Well, the 2.5-liter engine will solve that problem," he announced at a dealer meeting. While he stopped short of divulging technical details, Subaru has a pair of 2.5-liter flat-fours to choose from in its parts bin. The first is a turbocharged unit rated at 310 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque when it's thumping under the WRX STI's hood. Don't get your hopes up — that's not what's going in the Crosstrek, sadly. Nothing is official, but it's reasonable to assume Doll was referring to the naturally-aspirated four available in the Forester, the Outback, and the Legacy. It delivers 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque in all three applications. Subaru will usher the 2.5-liter into the Crosstrek range by expanding it with a new trim level called Sport. The range-topping Limited will also be offered with the bigger engine. Pricing information hasn't been announced yet, and neither has availability, but the peppier Crosstrek will likely arrive later in 2020 as a 2021 model. The Crosstrek is a jacked-up Impreza with a more rugged design, so it stands to reason the 2.5-liter fits in both models. There's no word yet on whether the equally underpowered Impreza will receive it. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Should Subaru have a premium brand?

A lot of people love Subarus, and that audience is only getting bigger. Subaru sold 647,956 vehicles in the U.S. in 2017, up from 615,132 units in 2016; 513,693 in 2012; and 187,699 in 2008. You get the idea. It's a relatively small brand, but a growing one. It's also one of the top brands in terms of customer loyalty, and in terms of conquest sales. From Q2 2015 to Q2 2016, Subaru gained 3.5 customers from other brands for every customer it lost. Recently, Riley, a listener to the Autoblog Podcast, wrote in and asked why Subaru doesn't have a luxury brand. Reading the email, neurons began firing immediately, and a whole bunch of new thoughts rushed in at once, mingling with old data in my brain. Indeed, why doesn't Subaru have its own luxury brand? My initial conclusion was that it just didn't make sense for the brand. It's too small of a company to warrant another brand. The higher-end offerings — namely top-trim Ascents — are probably the ceiling at the moment. If those can sell consistently, then maybe it would be time to toy with luxury-leaning models the way Hyundai did before spinning off Genesis (and perhaps adopt a wait-and-see attitude with regard to that potential competitor.) A luxury brand might dilute the value of Subaru's mainstream offerings, giving it the look of a budget brand, but luxury models within the brand could do the opposite. ... Unless ... What if Subaru's luxury brand was all electrified? Subaru is a company that is genuinely concerned with sustainability and environmental issues. Famously, its factories are zero-landfill facilities, and the company takes part in a multitude of environmental initiatives both on its own and with various partners. This mirrors the values of a large part of Subaru's customer base, who have earned a reputation as outdoor adventurers who love nature — and dogs. It's no surprise to see Subaru overrepresented on the roads of Denver, Portland, Ore., and Burlington, Vt. Subaru doesn't offer any plug-in models yet, but they're in the works. As of now, we can expect them to be based on current nameplates. What if Subaru gave its upcoming Crosstrek PHEV the luxury treatment and a new brand name ("Pleiades" would be the easy grab). Sure, Subaru retains customers really well already, but what happens when people outgrow Subaru? At least they have the option of the Ascent, but I'm interested to see how many Subaru owners move on to luxury brands (I'm in the process of finding those answers).