2007 Subaru Outback 2.5i Basic Wagon 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Subaru cuts annual profit outlook on strength of yen, typhoon impact

TOKYO — Subaru lowered its annual profit forecast on expectations of a stronger yen and the impact on production from a typhoon last month, driving its shares down as much as 4.5%. Japan's smallest major automaker, one fifth of which is owned by top-ranked Toyota, cut its forecast for operating profit to 220 billion yen ($2 billion) for the year ending March 2020, from a previous forecast of 260 billion yen. Subaru revised its forecast for the yen to average 107 versus the dollar over the period, from 110 previously. A stronger currency eats into profits because cars exported from Japan become more expensive and the value of earnings made overseas decreases. The United States is Subaru's biggest market, accounting for about 60% of overall sales. Typhoon Hagibis forced Subaru to halt production at its factories in Gumna, north of Tokyo, for more than a week in October due to supply chain disruptions. The stoppage, which lasted until Oct. 25, resulted in lost production of 11,000 vehicles, Chief Executive Officer Tomomi Nakamura told a briefing in Tokyo on Wednesday. Hagibis was the worst typhoon to hit Japan in decades, leaving at least 80 people dead, according to national broadcaster NHK. "We have restarted production, but we couldn't return to full capacity immediately," Nakamura said. "Some of our suppliers' factories were completely submerged." Subaru also said vehicle sales rose nearly 20% in the first half of the fiscal year compared with a year earlier, driven almost entirely by an improvement in the United States amid strong demand for the Forester SUV crossover. Subaru shares were down 1% at 3,102 yen by 0440 GMT, after touching a low of 2,995.5 yen earlier.

Subaru teases Viziv Adrenaline Concept crossover for Geneva

The latest installment in Subaru's Viziv line of concept vehicles is set for a reveal at the Geneva Motor Show next month. It's called the Viziv Adrenaline, and it'll add to a pair of electrified "e-Boxer" models on display, possibly the e-Boxer version of the Forester and a Crosstrek plug-in hybrid, which is branded as the XV in Europe. We're limited to this darkened, front three-quarters view for clues about the Viziv Adrenaline. It appears to be a two-door, raised crossover with bulging quarter panels, an interesting undulating belt line and plenty of creases for a rugged look. It also appears to sport futuristic-looking rearview cameras in place of conventional mirrors, and the LED headlights look pretty close to the ones found on last year's Viziv Tourer. Also, two cutouts at the top of the hood may indicate the presence of a combustion engine. Given that this is called the Viziv Adrenaline, are we looking at a performance model? Viziv is Subaru-parlance for "Vision for Innovation," so there are doubtless more details in store for us in Geneva. Last year's Viziv Tourer Concept presaged a production WRX wagon, and the Viziv Performance Concept from 2017 previewed a possible future WRX (don't forget the Viziv Performance STI Concept from last year's Tokyo Auto Salon). While Subaru has given us reasons to be wary about its concepts' ties to future production models in the past, don't forget the Viziv-7 did indeed become the Ascent three-row SUV. The Viziv Adrenaline debut is scheduled for March 5. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Subaru launches production of Ascent crossover in Indiana

Subaru began production Monday of the new Ascent, its much-anticipated three-row crossover, at its plant in Lafayette, Ind. It's set to arrive at dealers in June as a 2019 model and will start at $32,970, including shipping. The Ascent joins the Impreza, Legacy and Outback as vehicles built at the plant. It'll compete with three-row utility vehicles like the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Chevrolet Traverse and Volkswagen Atlas. (Read our comparison of the Ascent to the former two here.) Subaru built around 364,000 vehicles at the Indiana plant last year and expects the Ascent to nudge that up to around 400,000 vehicles a year. The automaker spent $140 million and added 1,200 jobs at Lafayette to support the Ascent. The company in late 2016 shifted production of the Impreza sedan and hatchback to the factory, its lone manufacturing site outside of Japan, to free up room at its plant in Gunma Prefecture for the hot-selling Crosstrek, which has been singlehandedly lifting Subaru's U.S. sales lately. A Subaru spokesman told Autoblog recently that the company hopes to sell 60,000 Ascents in the first year and had already booked more than 4,000 sold orders on the vehicle from customers who hadn't seen or driven it. The Ascent will come in either seven- or eight-seat configurations, is offered in all-wheel-drive and is based on a modified version of the same Subaru Global Platform that underpins the Impreza. It's powered by an all-new 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder that makes 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. It fills a slot formerly occupied by the Tribeca, Subaru's last three-row vehicle, which was discontinued in 2014. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.