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Subaru's BRZ STI Sport Concept is not quite what we've been waiting for

Subaru announced its lineup for the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon, and at the tippy top is yet another STI-badged BRZ concept car. But unlike the Performance Concept from the 2015 New York Auto Show, the new BRZ STI Sport Concept isn't so extreme. While it's hard to predict what this car means based on the limited information Subaru has released, we can get an idea of where the company is going by looking at its last STI Sport production model – the not-for-US Levorg. Essentially, the BRZ STI Sport Concept sounds like a lukewarm example of the lovable rear-driver, taking parts of the tS driving experience and marrying it with some interior and exterior enhancements. We can see those latter elements in the sole image the company released – the silver concept car gets a fresh body kit that's less aggressive than 2015's Performance Concept. The sole exterior image shows a subtle chin spoiler and a more prominent upgrade to the side sill. Smaller changes include STI badges in the lower grille and side grilles. In the cabin, Subaru apparently added dark red upholstery. All of this gels with the aesthetic the Levorg pioneered. On the performance front, we see what look like Brembo-branded red brake calipers, but that's about as certain as we can get with mechanical upgrades. What we can't see are likely modest performance tweaks, focusing on the suspension. The Levorg STI Sport, for example, got adjustable Bilstein dampers, firmer springs, and a tweaked power steering system. A similar STI Sport concept, based on the WRX S4, will share the Tokyo show stand with the BRZ. Subaru's racing entries in Super GT, Japan Rally, and the 24 Hours of Nurburgring will also go on display. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid [w/video]

The butler announcing arriving guests to the hybrid party has just called Subaru's name, at long last. The XV Crosstrek wasn't even supposed to come to the US, but the 2014 XV Crosstrek Hybrid endows it with a suit tailored for our regulatory dress code, adding all that weighty battery goodness to the Impreza-turned-compact-crossover.
Subaru didn't want to say why it sent the XV Crosstrek to the hybrid party first, but the original car itself was an opportunistic play for the European market that has worked out surprisingly well over there and over here. In areas represented by the American flag it's doing about 4,000 sales per month and on pace to hit 50,000 units for all of 2013; that's just another happy chapter in Subaru's generally awesome year that sees it outpacing Volkswagen through the end of October, 347,890 units to 342,962.
The XV Crosstrek Hybrid is the opportunistic play for the 25 percent of Subaru buyers that will be looking for a hybrid as their next vehicle, so sayeth Subaru, and for those outside the fold who are determined to include the word "hybrid" in their purchase but also want some extra ride height, space and all-wheel drive.

Is Subaru close to ditching 6-cylinder engines?

Despite niche outliers like the 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 and 7.0-liter V8 in the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, we live in an era where small-displacement, turbocharged engines are becoming the norm. In many model lineups, a boosted four-cylinder now holds the place that a six might have just a few short years ago. At least in some markets, Subaru could be the next automaker to follow this path by axing its 3.6-liter boxer six-cylinder. Granted, that's not as much of a leap for Subie as some other automakers because the Japanese brand is already closely associated with turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The company's six-pot boxer is currently only offered in the Legacy and Outback in the US. Australian website CarAdvice spoke with Subaru deputy general manager of engineering Yoichi Hori about the company's future powertrain plans at least for Down Under. "Our research said the six-cylinder model is decreasing in the world. So that's why probably the future, many companies take the smaller displacement with a turbocharger, or diesel, or hybrid," said Hori to CarAdvice. He was also specific about which engine he had in mind. "In terms of the body size, a 2.0-liter with a turbocharger is enough, I think," he said. Hori said that the automaker stuck with the boxer-six for so long because of the turbocharged four-cylinder's higher maintenance costs. Slotting Subaru's 2.0-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder into the Legacy and Outback seems easy to imagine. After all, the mill already does duty in different tunes in the Forester and WRX in the US. Keep in mind, though, that Hori's words are aimed at the Aussie market. A rumor from earlier this year speculated the company's midsize models might get a smaller displacement six and the turbo four for some trims. Featured Gallery 2015 Subaru Legacy: First Drive View 35 Photos News Source: CarAdviceImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL Green Subaru Wagon Sedan turbocharging