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Subaru brings back the Barkley dogs in new TV spots

Who let the dogs out? Subaru did. And they're bringing them back. The company announced it's bringing back the Barkley family of Labradors and Golden Retrievers for a new series of TV spots called "Dog Tested. Dog Approved." Subaru aired the four 30-second ads during the 24th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, which it has sponsored for 14 years. They'll repeat on network and cable broadcasts and feature in targeted digital and social media promotions. Subaru used the Barkleys most recently to unveil its new Ascent three-row SUV during its "Welcome to SubaruVille" event at the L.A. Auto Show late last year. The stunt was widely deemed adorable. The family of dogs have appeared in the automaker's ads as far back as 2009. "With more than half of Subaru drivers having pets, we believe it is important to celebrate the love of pets shared by our owners," Alan Bethke, senior vice president of marketing at Subaru of America, said in a statement. "Pets are considered members of our Subaru family and utilizing the Barkleys in our campaigns allows us to connect with our customers in an authentic, fun and entertaining way." The new ads are "Car Wash," embedded atop this post; "Drop Off," about the first day of obedience school; "Driving Lesson," in which a parallel parking lesson is complicated by passing geese; and "Drive Away," about a teenage dog being picked up by his father at the Dog Bowl. Subaru said it will also sponsor this year's "Puppy Bowl XIV," which airs February 4 on Animal Planet on the same day as the Super Bowl, and it plans to partner with BuzzFeed and Funny or Die on custom content branded with the hash tag #MakeADogsDay later on in the campaign. Subaru partners with animal welfare organizations like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as part of its Subaru Loves Pets campaign.Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Subaru Auto News Marketing/Advertising Subaru Crossover SUV dogs subaru ascent

Subaru Viziv Performance STI Concept has us dreaming of a future WRX STI

Subaru has revealed the Viziv Performance STI Concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon, and it's pretty much what you would expect. It's very closely related to the Viziv Performance Concept from the Tokyo Auto Show last year, but it's been given a bevy of flashy STI parts to make it aggressive. Up front, a deep lip spoiler complements a redesigned front bumper that does away with the two outboard air intakes and opens up the center one. According to a Subaru designer, it improves the cooling and aerodynamics. Having the blocked-off intakes on each side with STI logos is also a nice throwback to old Impreza STI models that often had blank panels with the logo over the foglight openings. Around the side are side skirts, and at the back are small extensions to the same diffuser from the earlier Viziv concept. And of course, there's a massive wing at the back. What's interesting is how much of the normal Viziv remains under the STI logos, decals and wings. The fenders look nearly untouched, and the hood scoop is the same size and shape as the standard concept. Even the exhaust, taillights and headlights are all the same. Then again, between the production WRX and WRX STI, the only real visible differences are the rear wing, wheels and front spoiler. And, if the Viziv Performance concepts preview future WRX and STI models, following that model makes sense. Of course the big differences between WRX and STI models are under the skin. Unfortunately, Subaru doesn't reveal a thing about what hypothetical powertrain is under this STI. Maybe we shouldn't be so surprised though, since the company didn't say anything about the regular one either. Only the use of a flat-four and all-wheel drive are certain. For that matter, even the styling isn't truly certain. While we can hope that the next WRX and WRX STI have the muscular look of these concepts, we have reason to be skeptical. But instead of getting cynical and sad, let's just enjoy this for what it is: a cool STI concept. Related Video:

Subaru STI version of Viziv Performance Concept will debut at Tokyo Show

When Subaru revealed the Viziv Performance Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, there were many rumblings that it previewed the next Subaru WRX. That possibility seems much more likely now that we've had a glimpse at Subaru's concept for the Tokyo Auto Salon, the Viziv Performance STI Concept, which could be a preview of the next WRX STI. Though we only have a couple teaser images to work with, we can clearly see that it's a flashier machine all-around. In the grille is the trademark pink STI badge, and it's matched by pink accent lines in the grille, the front lip spoiler, new air inlet, side skirts, and on the rear wing. And in true STI fashion, the rear wing is enormous. It also looks like the fender flares may be slightly wider than the standard Viziv concept. Other than what we can see, we don't know much else about this concept. Since it's a Subaru, it's sure to have a flat-4 engine and all-wheel drive. We can also make out the roof sensors from the last Viziv, indicating that this, too, will have fancy driver assistance systems. And if the development of the Subaru Ascent from the Viziv-7 is anything to go by, this concept will probably lead to a production model. As we've said before, though, we'd caution Subaru fans against high hopes, since Subaru has already shown in the past that its concepts don't always translate to production. Related Video: Image Credit: Subaru Tokyo Auto Salon Subaru Concept Cars Performance Sedan subaru viziv perfromance concept

Best. Year. Ever. Subaru breaks yearly and monthly sales records in 2017

After a generally good sales year for most car manufacturers, one company had a spectacular year: Subaru. The company reported with its end-of-year sales that 2017 was it's best sales year of all time. The total was 647,956 vehicles sold over the 12 months. Not only that, but December was also the best month of sales the company has ever seen with 63,342 cars sold. That's nearly 10 percent of the annual sales in one month. As far as individual models go, the Impreza and Crosstrek each had their best month in December and 2017 was each model's best year. The Impreza's year was especially impressive with sales jumping more than 55 percent compared with 2016. It was also the best year for Outback. Subaru credits some of its strong December to its "Share the Love" promotion that donated $250 of each new car purchase to one of a selection of charities. But a big part of Subaru's sales success has to be due to the fact that most of its products are in the hottest car market around: crossovers. The fact that its products are highly competitive against other similar vehicles certainly helps too. This is partly evident by the fact that year-to-year, every crossover model with the exception of the aging Forester saw a sales increase. Meanwhile, every traditional car (Legacy, WRX/STI and BRZ) with the exception of the redesigned Impreza had lower sales for the year. So if you ever wonder why companies aren't racing to release new sedans and coupes, this is why. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Subaru investigates possible mileage data cheating, shares drop

TOKYO — Subaru, already smarting from a vehicle inspection scandal at home, said it was now investigating whether mileage readings may have also been falsified during final checks, driving its shares down as much as 8 percent. Mileage readings, an indicator of fuel efficiency, do not fall under safety requirements. However, any proof of what would be a second instance of misconduct in as many months would taint the image of not only Subaru but also Japan's manufacturing industry, which has been rocked by a slew of scandals recently. Just last year, Mitsubishi Motors saw around 40 percent of its market value, or $3.2 billion, wiped out in three days after it admitted it had overstated the fuel economy of its minivehicles. Subaru on Wednesday said it was checking to see if any possible fabrication could have impacted its official mileage readings and if any exported models may have been affected. "At the moment we are trying to confirm whether data was indeed fabricated, and if so, how this happened and which models are affected," Subaru spokeswoman Miyuki Yasuda said. She added that any evidence of falsified mileage figures was unlikely to result in a recall as it would not constitute a violation of safety requirements. The mileage probe follows Subaru's revelation in October that uncertified staff had been for decades carrying out final checks that the Japanese government requires on new cars sold in the Japanese domestic market. The company this week vowed to improve oversight, but it did not mention any probe into mileage readings at the time. Subaru said reports of falsified mileage readings emerged as external investigators looked into the inspection scandal. Some inspectors told investigators that mileage data had been altered on some sample vehicle models tested during final checks. Subaru said it had not confirmed that any such fabrications had taken place. "Coming on the heels of the certified inspection issue, this could be a sign of a bigger problem of how Subaru manages its manufacturing operations," said Janet Lewis, head of Asia transportation research at Macquarie Securities. Subaru shares fell as much as 8.5 percent to their lowest since July 2016, before ending down 7 percent. The stock has given up almost 10 percent over the past two months amid the inspection scandal.

Subaru limited-edition WRX STI Type RA and BRZ tS pricing revealed

Back in June, Subaru announced that it was going to produce a limited edition of 500 higher-performance WRX STIs and BRZs. Now we know what they'll cost. Let's take the WRX STI Type RA first. That's going to set you back $49,855, including destination and delivery. (As a frame of reference, a plain old STI lists for $36,995.) The BRZ tS, on the other hand, will cost $34,355. (A base BRZ sells for $26,315.) So the premiums for the limited-edition cars are $12,860 and $8,040, respectively. What you get for the WRX STI Type RA's higher price, aside from more letters, is a roster of handling and enhancements and weight reduction measures (how much less, Subaru didn't say): Carbon fiber wing. Carbon fiber roof panel. Spare tire delete. Lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels. Revised third-gear ratio and shorter throw on the six-speed manual. Upgraded suspension with special Bilstein dampers. Modified vehicle dynamics control (VDC). All WRX STIs for 2018 get upgraded brakes, and the Type RA shares in that, getting stronger Brembo monoblock six-piston calipers in front. Two-piston calipers are in the rear, and it gets larger, cross-drilled rotors at all four corners. Brake pads have more surface area. The one difference in the Type RA: The calipers are painted an "exclusive" silver finish. All STIs also get a new all-electronically controlled limited-slip center differential AWD system. Horsepower gets a nudge to 310, from the regular STI's 305. Doesn't look like much on paper, but Subaru says the car will get a new cold-air intake, high-flow exhaust, retuned ECU and stronger pistons. Inside, it gets special Recaro seats, an Ultrasuede steering wheel, and each car will be individually numbered, with a plaque in the cabin. Finally, the Type RA gets "Cherry Blossom Red" accenting, RA badging, a front underspoiler and paint choices of blue, black and white. In case you're wondering about the naming/numbering, the "RA" in WRX STI Type RA stands for "record attempt." In July, a WRX STI Type RA NBR Special — a specially built 600-horsepower racecar that is a far cry from the car going on sale — finished a lap of the Nurburgring in a blazing 6:57.5. That's just half a second behind the Porsche 918 Spyder hypercar. The BRZ tS, meanwhile, gets: STI-tuned front and rear Sachs dampers and coil springs, and other steps to stiffen the suspension. Lightweight 18-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sports. Four-piston Brembos up front, twofers in the back.

Hyundai, Kia, Genesis and Subaru clean up in IIHS 2018 safety ratings

Hyundai, its partner Kia and its Genesis division are the big winners in the latest vehicle safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, accounting for six of the 15 models that earned the Top Safety Pick+ awards for 2018. Subaru was right behind with four, Mercedes-Benz had two, and Toyota, BMW and Ford each had one. Another 47 vehicles earned the Top Safety Pick designation, where Toyota had 10 vehicle models, with Hyundai recognized for nine models. All but one of the seven vehicles in Subaru's lineup, the BRZ, qualified for one of the awards. IIHS strengthened the criteria for the Top Safety Pick+ award for 2018 to require headlights to earn a "good" rating — an "acceptable" rating was previously enough to notch the "plus" award — and good or acceptable passenger-side protection in the small overlap front crash, which replicates a crash involving just the front corner of a vehicle. It also required vehicles to have acceptable or good headlights for the first time to earn a Top Safety Pick award. Most of winners for both awards qualified on the basis of optional upgrades. IIHS in October began evaluating the passenger side of vehicles in its small overlap front crash test after it said it became clear that automakers were neglecting that side of the vehicle as they focused on improving driver-side protections. IIHS first began conducting driver-side small overlap crashes in 2012. It began measuring both how well low and high beams illuminated the road and the amount of glare they produce for oncoming vehicles as part of its ratings in 2016. The Top Safety Pick+ winners are listed below. The list doesn't include any minivans, pickups or minicars, which don't appear on either list of awardees. Small cars Kia Forte Kia Soul Subaru Impreza (sedan and wagon) Subaru WRX Midsize cars Subaru Legacy Subaru Outback Toyota Camry Large luxury cars BMW 5 series Genesis G80 Genesis G90 Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Midsize SUVs Hyundai Santa Fe Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Midsize luxury SUV Mercedes-Benz GLC The full list of Top Safety Pick winners is available here.Related Video: Image Credit: IIHS BMW Genesis Hyundai Kia Lincoln Subaru Toyota Safety Crossover SUV Wagon Sedan crash test

2017 Los Angeles Auto Show Recap Livestream

Autoblog editors discuss the highlights of the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Jeep Wrangler and Chevy Corvette ZR1, were huge stars, but more mainstream SUVs like the Hyundai Kona, Subaru Ascent, Nissan Kicks and Lincoln Nautilus were also significant. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore and Senior Editor John Beltz Snyder discuss the latest from L.A. LA Auto Show Jeep Subaru SUV Videos 2017 LA Auto Show

2019 Subaru Ascent Deep Dive | 15 fast facts, 3 rows of seats and 8 golden retrievers

The 2019 Subaru Ascent three-row crossover is a big deal — both in literal size and metaphorical importance. The large Subaru plugs a gap in the company's crossover lineup that hasn't been filled since the company's previous attempt, the B9 Tribeca, fell flat on its weird-looking face. And by "plugs a gap," we don't mean in terms of market segments. Rather, it fills a gap among Subaru's band of fiercely loyal customers. Currently, Subaru's Crosstrek, Forester and Outback serve young singles, couples and parents with recently arrived children. They also have older empty nester types who effectively "come back to us." But for those customers in their "child-raising years," they've had no choice but to leave the brand in favor of one that sells a larger, three-row model. They don't need the biggest thing around, but something larger than an Outback would be nice. It is for these people that the 2019 Ascent was created, a "right sized" crossover, according to Subaru, designed to deliver the high functionality and ease-of-use expected of the brand. It was "sized to overwhelm the Outback," which it most definitely does when viewed side-by-side, while still looking very much like the Outback. Really, the Ascent is intended to keep Subaru buyers in the family, so to speak. Any conquest buyers would seem to be gravy. Here are some other takeaways from our first look at the 2019 Subaru Ascent during its unveil last night prior to the L.A. Auto Show. — The Premium and Limited trim levels will provide customers with a free-of-charge choice of second-row bench (eight-passenger) and second-row captain's chairs (seven-passenger) configurations. This is unique in the industry, giving customers the option to outfit their Ascent in a way that best suits their family. Subaru expects the captain's chairs to be a bit more popular. — We have our doubts about Subaru's official cargo capacity figures. The published maximum cargo volume, which represents both the second and third rows folded, is a meager 72.8 cubic feet. That's actually less than the Outback (73.3) and the Forester (74.7)! That's also considerably less than other three-row crossovers like the Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot. Having seen the Ascent in person, however, that's extremely hard to fathom. It doesn't look that small in the least. Far from it. It has a big, boxy interior with a third row that fit a pair of 6-footers behind a second pair of 6-footers in the second row.

2019 Subaru Ascent crossover revealed | Big and not so bold

Just over a year after Subaru first indicated its intention to build a three-row crossover with the Viziv-7, we now get to see the end product, the 2019 Ascent. Compared with the Viziv-7 and the Ascent concept, the basic shape remains, but all of the rugged, square-shouldered detailing has been toned way down. The body is now full of soft, inoffensive lines that result in it looking more like a blown-up Outback than its own thing. It's not a bad-looking vehicle, but it isn't quite as bold as we hoped. Under the skin is a brand-new engine in the Subaru lineup. It uses a turbocharged and intercooled 2.4-liter flat-four, and the turbo is a twin-scroll unit. It produces 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque, and will help the Ascent tug on up to 5,000 pounds of whatever you want to tow. The engine is mated to a CVT that can be shifted manually through eight preset ratios via steering-wheel paddles. Power goes to all four wheels, as is the Subaru way. All Ascents also come with the X-Mode off-road setting and hill descent control, as well as 8.7 inches of ground clearance. In the cabin, Ascents can be had with seating for up to eight people. All models come standard with a second-row bench seat, while Premium trim and higher can be had with second-row captain's chairs at no extra cost. Passengers can take advantage of three-zone automatic climate control, with redundant controls for the second row. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard equipment along with a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system that can be optioned up to an 8-inch. As for cargo space, there's 19.6 cubic feet behind the third row, over 40 cubic feet behind the second row, and about 72 cubic feet with both rows folded. Drivers will also be able to take advantage of standard EyeSight with automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control. The 2019 Ascent goes on sale next summer. Subaru has not yet announced pricing. View 16 Photos Related Video: