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What grownups drive (fast) | 2017 Subaru Forester 2.0XT Touring Review

If you look at the 2017 Forester XT Touring and don't notice the changes compared to the 2016 model, we won't blame you. They're subtle. The naturally aspirated models get a new front bumper that matches the surrounding body color, but the turbo model we drove still has the black gap in the middle. The grille gives up the wide mesh look for a pattern that subtly accentuates the Pleiades badge. Look into the updated Forester's eyes, though, and you might see a new spark of beauty, with a redesign that prominently features a surrounding strip of LEDs. There's also a new color; our test vehicle came in the new-for-2017 Sepia Bronze Metallic paint, a tasteful brown(-ish) that might let you get away with going longer between washes. On the inside, this Forester had the new Saddle Brown leather interior exclusive to the Touring trim. It's the rich sort of brown that reminds one of a rustic but well-appointed hunting lodge, where one would expect to catch a whiff of pipe tobacco and whiskey. It just smelled like a normal car, though, at least before we got in it. Touring spec also offers up a heated steering wheel and seats, the automotive equivalent to a chair in front of the fireplace. Most touch points are attended to with sturdy-feeling materials, and the most important one – the wheel­ – feels grippy and comfortable without being overwrought. The front seats are firm but comfortable, with an upright seating position. They're a bit reminiscent of those moderately expensive high-back office chairs, except in this case, the office rolls around with the seat. Sitting behind them isn't bad, either, as they're shaped in a way that carves out extra room for the knees. The door openings are large enough to make ingress and egress an easy task, which is a merciful thing, especially when wrestling a car seat into the back. As for our own rear-facing kid carrier, it fits in the Forester just fine, but, when clipped in the passenger side, means the front occupant is just one click closer to the dash than they'd be ideally. Their knees won't be crunched into the glove box, though (that's a position some of us have learned to live with in other cars with a rear-facing car seat installed). The view from the driver's seat is exceptional. Tall, wide windows let you keep track of everything that's going on around you. They also bring in a lot of light, and piloting the Forester is a bit like driving a greenhouse on wheels.

Plans for 7-seat Subaru Tribeca replacement becoming clearer

Subaru is going to have its hands full at the Tokyo Motor Show next week, but while the Cross Sport Design Concept is expected to preview a Tribeca-replacing crossover, this new model could still be at least two years from production. It has already been confirmed that production of the Tribeca will end early next year, but in speaking with Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, the president of Subaru's parent Fuji Heavy Industries, Automotive News is reporting that there will be a lengthy gap between the Tribeca and its eventual replacement.
The next-gen three-row crossover wasn't included in an annual production capacity goal of 500,000 units expected in the US by the end of 2016, so it's likely that we won't see this much-needed CUV until 2017. While the details of this new model aren't known, Yoshinaga told AN that it will be "completely different" from the Tribeca. As we heard back in February, we do expect this seven-passenger crossover to grow in size in order to offer a larger cabin with more third-row space.
Automotive News even mentions that the Tribeca replacement could be based on the existing Subaru Exiga from the Japanese market. That three-row vehicle splits the difference between a minivan and wagon, with swinging doors instead of sliders, and a tall greenhouse.

Upcoming Subaru WRX STI rumored to get hybrid drivetrain

Subaru might electrify the next-gen WRX STI. According to a rumor from Motoring in Australia citing an unnamed Subie insider, the brand's engineers reportedly have two hybrid systems under development for the future model. The move would allow the STI to boost power output and improve fuel economy and lower emissions to keep up with US regulations. According to Motoring's speculation, the next STI might use an electric motor at the back to power the rear axle and an upgraded version of the FA20 turbocharged 2.0-liter at the front. A new dual-clutch six-speed gearbox would help the power get to the road, and the total system could allegedly offer around 322 horsepower versus 305 hp from the current US model. This rumor also claims the next-gen STI would continue as a sedan when it arrives in 2017. Like previous iterations, the four-door will share underpinnings with the Impreza, which will mean a move to Subaru's new modular platform. The standard hybrid might only be the beginning of electrification for the future STI. Motoring's source also claims the company has a plug-in hybrid variant under development, but it might not debut until the 2018 Tokyo Motor Show. A hybrid STI could be exciting, but until there are solid facts, this rumor joins a long history of powertrain speculation about the high-performance Subaru. In 2008 and 2010, reports emerged about a diesel version, but it never appeared. We once even heard that the current-gen WRX might boast an electric turbo.