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Subaru mulling expanding Indiana plant for Forester, Impreza

Thanks to currency fluctuations and their impact on the bottom line, a growing number of Japanese automakers are starting to increase vehicle production in the US, and it appears Subaru could be the next to do so. According to Bloomberg, Subaru is looking into expanding production capacity at its Lafayette, Indiana assembly plant, which currently builds the Outback, Legacy and Tribeca as well as the Toyota Camry.
Subaru's Indiana plant currently has an annual maximum capacity of 310,000 units, but the automaker is expecting to far exceed that figure this year, with year-to-date sales of 299,788 units through November (not including Camry) - an increase of almost 30 percent over 2011. The report indicates that Subaru could expand the plant to add as many 50,000 additional units to the plant, likely in the form of either the Forester or Impreza.

Subaru Levorg, also known as the WRX's wagon cousin, revealed in production form

Last year, Subaru gave us our first look at the new Levorg station wagon in "prototype" form, which over the past few years has shared most of its body and interior with the Subaru WRX. Now we finally get to see the production version, and it looks basically identical to the regular and STI Sport concepts. That's not a bad thing. It builds on the old Levorg and WRX with sharper, crisper lines. There's more visual detail in the headlights and angled wheel arches. And it retains classic cues such as the big hood scoop. It can be made more aggressive looking with a variety of front and rear spoilers, diffusers and side skirts, too. While the exterior isn't huge news thanks to past concepts, the interior and engine specs are. The interior in particular gives us our first look at what we'll probably see in the next WRX. Not surprisingly, the focal point is the huge vertical touchscreen that looks lifted straight out of the Legacy and Outback. In fact, the whole dash is very similar to that of the bigger Subarus, though the height of the dash is a bit shorter and the air vents a bit thinner. The Levorg also has a fancy screen for its instrument panel, and it will be interesting to see if that carries over to a future WRX. We also finally have complete specs on the Levorg's engine, which we're sure won't be in the next WRX. It's a turbocharged 1.8-liter flat-four. Its engine name is CB18, marking it as a new engine not shared with any current Subaru. It makes 175 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque and is paired with a CVT. While you can already get a WRX with a CVT, there's no way Subaru would offer the WRX with an engine that's down about 100 horses to the old model. When we do finally see the new WRX and STI, they will likely be similar to this Levorg, though with possibly some body tweaks to make it a little more aggressive. They will also probably adopt a sedan design instead of the wagon shape. Under the hood will likely be iterations of the turbocharged FA-series flat-four. The current WRX already has a 2.0-liter version of this engine, which makes 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The next model could use a carryover or upgraded version of this engine. As for the STI, reports suggest it will get a 2.4-liter variant and could make as much as 400 horsepower. Related Video:

Subaru pulls on our heartstrings with father and daughter ad

Do you remember your first car? Was it a hand-me-down from your parents? While it wasn't actually my first car, my parents gifted me a 1990 Mercury Sable as a daily driver, considering that my own chosen car, a 1965 Karmann Ghia, wasn't exactly the most reliable steed in the world. And while I predictably disliked the new-to-me family car, looking back, it was perfect – reliable, safe and, perhaps most importantly for a 17-year-old, free. If it weren't for that car, simple things like going to school, interviewing for jobs and even going to see a movie with friends would have been a massive ordeal. I eventually traded that old Mercury in on the first new car I ever bought at a dealership, with my parents' blessing and, as you might have guessed, my dad's co-signature. While I know not everyone's automotive journey began this way, I'm certain that my story is not actually mine alone. That's why this new ad from Subaru pulls at so many heartstrings – a father cleans out his old Forester, finding keepsakes and nearly-forgotten memories along the way, as he prepares to pass it on to his 16-year-old daughter. Check out the video above, and feel free to share your own hand-me-down stories in Comments. News Source: Subaru via YouTube, Adweek Marketing/Advertising Subaru Ownership Crossover Videos first car