2004 Subaru Forester on 2040-cars

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2015 Subaru Legacy

Subaru has a problem on its six-starred hands, but you wouldn't know it at first glance. Sales are up; in fact, the Japanese automaker has recorded 28-straight months of increased sales in the United States, leading to the best first-quarter Subaru has ever recorded, and 2014 will almost assuredly be the seventh straight year it has posted improvements. So, what's wrong? The answer is simple, though clearly complicated to resolve. Sedans - specifically, midsize examples - have proven a tough nut for Subaru to crack.
The vast majority of those impressive sales statistics have come from just a few models, namely the Forester, Outback and XV Crosstrek. The Impreza continues to sell at a respectable pace, but it's telling that the XV, after just three years on the market, is already Subaru's third-best-selling nameplate, outpacing the aforementioned Impreza (on which it's based), its high-performance WRX sibling and the Legacy, which is now entering its sixth generation, having been first introduced way back in 1989. It's that last model we're examining today.
Despite the fact that the Legacy plays in a hotly contested market segment that includes such stalwart sales champions as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion and Nissan Altima, Subaru's competitor registers as a barely visible blip on the radars of new-car buyers. Graphically illustrated another way, Toyota sells 17 Camry sedans for every new Legacy that Subaru moves.

Subaru to introduce two e-Boxer hybrids at Geneva

Subaru will be bringing two electrified "e-Boxer" models to the Geneva Motor Show next month, as Autocar reports. While the manufacturer hasn't announced which models these electrified cars will be, it is likely that at least one of them will be the e-Boxer version of the Forester, which Subaru showed at the 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon. Another possible model for the Geneva unveiling can be the Crosstrek's hybrid version, branded XV for the European market. The hybrid Crosstrek is Subaru's first PHEV model, and it uses Toyota's 8.8-kWh battery pack mated to a 2.0-liter boxer engine. Subaru is relatively late to the hybrid game, as some competing Japanese carmakers have had hybrid cars on the market for a long time already, and only in recent years has Subaru put hybrid models for sale outside Japan. But by being able to mate electric power with its trademark boxer engine powertrain, Subaru can remain "on-brand" while still utilizing hybrid technology, instead of going with a regular four cylinder inline engine as is popular with hybrid powertrains. Still, the Japanese market Forester STI e-Boxer only produces a combined 156 horsepower and 187 lb-ft of torque, figures that seem modest compared to a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine, for example. But with Subaru's diesel exercise just a decade-long, select-market enterprise, and with diesel on the outs these days, hybrid seems a better bet, especially in the North American market. Related Video:

Subaru confirms new Outback to debut in New York

Performance enthusiasts may think of the WRX and BRZ when the name Subaru comes to mind, but for many others, the brand is best associated with the Outback. The soft-road version of the Legacy (and the Impreza-based Outback Sport that preceded the XV Crosstrek) is a vital product for the Japanese automaker, which has now confirmed it's bringing the latest version to the New York Auto Show in just a couple of weeks from now. There's little to go on from the teaser image above (which you can click to enlarge) and the press release below, which says only that "The all-new Outback is Subaru's flagship crossover model which blends Car-like handling and SUV capability." And that much we knew already. It's safe to assume that, like previous versions of the Outback, the new model (which we recently spied undergoing testing) will be based closely on the latest Legacy, albeit upgraded with a higher ride height, lower body cladding and other off-roading enhancements. Watch this space for more. All-New Subaru "Outback" to Make World Debut at 2014 New York International Auto Show Tokyo, April 3, 2014 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the maker of Subaru automobiles, today announced that the all-new "Outback" (US specifications model) will make its world debut at the 2014 New York International Auto Show (Press day: April 16 and 17; Open to the public from April 18 through 27, 2014). The Outback will be unveiled at the press briefing scheduled for 10:55 AM EST on April 17 at Subaru booth following a speech to be made by FHI President & CEO, Yasuyuki Yoshinaga. The all-new Outback is Subaru's flagship crossover model which blends Car-like handling and SUV capability. The special site opens today at 22:00 (Japan time) on the Subaru Global Site. http://www.subaru-global.com/2014ny.html The site will feature information updates relating to the New York International Auto Show including Subaru's press conference.