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Subaru Forester STI e-Boxer concept arriving at Tokyo Auto Salon

Subaru is bringing a Forester STI e-Boxer and Impreza STI concepts to the 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon. Earlier this year, Subaru revealed its 2019 Forester e-Boxer exclusively for the Japanese market. It has a 2.0-liter flat-four, that works in tandem with an electric motor. The total system output is a rather meager 156 horsepower and 187 pound-feet of torque. Subaru says this concept has further refined e-Boxer running gear, which probably means smoother operation, not more power. In fact, this Forester STI looks more like a "tuned by STI" vehicle than a full-on STI. These Japanese tS vehicles (slightly different than U.S. tS vehicles) can be characterized as "STI-lite," which is what this Forester comes off as. As for the rest of the changes, the Forester STI Concept looks pretty rad. The front fascia continues much further down to the ground than before with a blocky look, broken up by the yellow accent as you move even lower. An STI badge sits proudly on the totally blacked-out grille, similar to the Forester Sport but with a different mesh design. Lower and design-heavy side skirts amp the look up a bit more along the sides, while the rear continues the sporty theme with more yellow accents. An exclusive "Fighter Gray" paint color is used on this STI as well. Surprisingly, the exhaust looks exactly the same as a normal Forester. The only actual performance upgrade Subaru is telling us about now comes in the form of big Brembo brakes. Six-piston calipers are covered by 19-inch performance aluminum wheels. We're offered little to no description of the Impreza STI before the show. Just from appearances, it looks like Subaru designed a body kit for a normal Impreza, then changed up the front and rear a bit. The dual-center exhaust is a nice performance touch. Pictures of the interior aren't available now either, but Subaru says it's "Bordeaux" with "high texture." The looks are there, but without any performance information, this doesn't appear to be the STI hatchback we've been wanting for in the U.S. There will also be a Subaru Levorg (Impreza/WRX wagon) and a WRX STI made with custom STI parts. All the Subaru cars will go on the stand at the Tokyo Auto Salon on January 11 next year, so the wait won't be too long to learn more about these vehicles. Related video:

Subaru Levorg: Forbidden fruit

For Subaristas, the Levorg needs no introduction. Fans of the marque have been begging Subaru of America (SOA) to bring it over here from the moment it was first introduced. First introduced in Japan a year or so ago, and now making its way across the globe, it is one delicious wagon that SOA refuses to let Americans taste. Why? Wagons don't sell in America, so they say (some Euro-brands might disagree with that). Plus they seem to think they have the wagon market pretty well covered with the Outback, Forester, and to a lesser degree, the Crosstrek. First a bit of history Unlike here in America, at least in recent years, a Legacy wagon continued to exist in other markets. At some point Subaru decided to also delete it from their global portfolio, and to replace it with the smaller, sportier and well-equipped Levorg. The thinking was that the Levorg would be more distinct from the Outback than a Legacy wagon, and would be less likely to step on the Outback's toes in terms of searching for customers; makes sense. Another point needs to be made: Subaru is selling at record levels. They just can't make them fast enough as they are constrained by lack of production capacity. That will improve soon as the next-gen Impreza will be built in their Indiana plant this fall once the Toyota Camry production moves out. So, at the moment, they don't need the Levorg to improve sales. Down the road that may be a different situation, but for now adding another model line would be tough and of little benefit. Why America needs the Levorg When Subaru introduced the current generation WRX they deleted the hatchback — which accounted for 50 percent of WRX sales. Needless to say WRX 5-door owners were outraged — and continue to be so. The Levorg wagon could be the perfect answer for these folks, as shares many parts with the WRX. In Japan it's available with a new 1.6L direct-injection turbo as well as the same 2.0L direct-injection turbo found in the WRX. Other markets, to date, only get the 1.6L engine. All Levorgs have CVTs, with the 2.0 versions getting the high-torque CVT found in the WRX CVT. The chassis setup, while a tad softer, is very close to that of the WRX. So it is definitely a car that's cut out for canyon-carving. It's also more upscale than the WRX, with an interior more akin to luxurious trim levels of the Legacy and Outback. In its defense Subaru has claimed that the budget did not allow for developing both the Levorg and a 5-door WRX.

Caddy XT4, Subaru STI Type RA, and blazin' Elon | Autoblog Podcast #553

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Alex Kierstein and Green Editor John Snyder. We talk about time spent with the Cadillac XT4 and Subaru WRX STI Type RA. Then we get into other topics, including the death of the VW Beetle, our thoughts on the state of the Nissan 370Z, cameras replacing mirrors, the trouble with the Ford Focus Active, and Elon Musk blazing a fat blunt. We indulge in a little conversation about the process of writing about cars. Finally we help a listener choose their next EV in the "Spend My Money" segment.Autoblog Podcast #553 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 Cars we've driven: Cadillac XT4 and Subaru WRX STI Type RA RIP, VW Bug What's up with the Nissan 370Z? Lexus to replace side mirrors with cameras RIP, Ford Focus Active You do you, Elon On writing about cars Spend My Money: electric edition Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Green Podcasts Cadillac Ford Lexus Nissan Subaru Tesla Volkswagen Car Buying Technology Coupe Crossover Electric Police/Emergency Sedan cadillac xt4 subaru wrx sti type ra