2011(11) Subaru Outback 2.5l Limited Leather/woodgrain Pckg Harman/kardon Loaded on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Subaru Impreza gets smarter, safer and sharper in Japan

Subaru quietly gave the sedan and hatchback variants of the Impreza a mid-cycle update in Japan. Both body styles now wear a sharper front-end design, and they receive additional tech features. The current, fifth-generation Impreza made its global debut at the 2017 New York Auto Show. The 2020 model introduced online in Japan stands out with a revised front fascia characterized by a wide air dam that stretches the entire width of the bumper, chrome-look L-shaped trim on either end of it, and a revised grille. The changes made to the rear fascia are largely limited to tweaked lights. All told, you need to be an eagle-eyed car-spotter to tell the face-lifted model apart from its predecessor. Buyers seeking a sportier Impreza will be disappointed, Subaru is still taking its time developing the next WRX, but those who want a more high-tech car that helps them drive will be thrilled. Every Japanese-spec Impreza regardless of trim level is now equipped with EyeSight Touring Assist, a suite of electronic driving aids that handles accelerating, braking and steering in a wide range of conditions. These features don't make the Impreza autonomous in any way, and the driver still needs to stay focused on the road ahead, but they help when driving becomes tedious. There are other, more minor upgrades on the menu. The door mirrors now tilt down when the driver selects reverse, for example, and Subaru added a front-view camera.  In Japan, the Impreza carries on with either a 1.6-liter flat-four rated at 115 horsepower, or a 2.0-liter flat-four with 154 horses on tap. The entry-level model is front-wheel drive, surprisingly, but all-wheel drive is standard on higher trims. Regardless, both engines shift through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that offers seven pre-programmed virtual gears. The Impreza lost its manual transmission in its home country years ago, though the company's American division continues to let buyers give a shift. Subaru hasn't announced plans to make similar changes to the American-spec model and tells us "it's too early for us to release information" about that, but it's not too far-fetched to speculate we'll get an updated Impreza sooner rather than later. We might see the model break cover during the 2019 edition of the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, and it could arrive in showrooms during the 2020 model year.

Subaru BRZ tS makes its brief video debut

Ever since Subaru released the BRZ, fans have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the STI version. But despite the recent release of the tS package, the brand faithful will have to wait a little longer, because the tS stops short of the full STI treatment. But at least it looks the part.
Though the BRZ tS doesn't encompass any major engine mods to speak of, it does benefit from a number of enhancements: a new driveshaft, aero kit, Brembo brakes, Recaro buckets and more. Which may be more than enough for some, but to tip the scales of disappointment, Subaru will only make 500 such examples, and they'll only be available in Japan. So chances are you won't be getting your hands on one, but at least you can admire it from this brief video clip below. It's not much to go on, but that seems about par for the proverbial course.

2015 Subaru WRX teased ahead of LA debut

After bringing a seriously hot concept to the New York Auto Show earlier this year, Subaru will finally reveal the production 2015 WRX at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month. And while we've seen spy shots of the hotter Impreza (including the winged STI variant), Subaru has now released this teaser image, showing the bulging, scooped 'Rex that's nearly ready for its world debut.
What we can see is a car that's clearly been toned down from the conceptual version - we aren't surprised, really. But it appears that the added aggressiveness over the standard Impreza will make for a pretty hot-looking little sedan. Of course, WRX models have never exactly been pretty cars, and we don't expect this one to be, either. No matter - assuming this car follows in the footsteps of WRXes past, it should still be plenty good.
Subaru hasn't released any details about the WRX as of this writing, but again, we don't expect it to stray too much from the formula we know. Expect a turbocharged boxer engine underhood, all-wheel drive, and - hopefully - a manual transmission. Rumor has it the WRX and STI will lose their hatchback variants and go sedan-only for the 2015 model year, but we'll have to wait until the official LA debut to know that for certain. Stay tuned.