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Daily Driver: Long-Term 2015 Subaru WRX

In successive weeks the middle west and eastern coast of our country were blanketed in snow. Thankfully for my fellow Michigan-based Autoblog editors and I, our long-term 2015 Subaru WRX was fitted with Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D tires before the first flake even fell. I stole the keys and ran out of the office was loaned the WRX for a week recently, and made good use of a sunny Saturday to take the car out for a proper, winding road drive. In the video you see here, I happened to have great weather and dry roads for the test, but rest assured that it had been snowy and gross up to that point. We're going to have lots more to say about our gold-footed 'Rex before we give it back, but in the meantime believe me when I say that the car is well-sorted for the worst that Winter '15 will throw at it.

Subaru pairs with Liberty Mutual for built-in driving monitor app

A new app for Subaru's Starlink infotainment will give owners easy access to Liberty Mutual's RightTrack usage-based insurance program later in the year, and those that take part will be able to save up to 30 percent off their bill. Users will also get nearly realtime feedback about their driving that could make them safer behind the wheel. "RightTrack is designed to benefit drivers," Jeff Wright, vice president of usage-based insurance at Liberty Mutual, said to Autoblog. The program monitors a participating driver's behavior and looks for factors like hard acceleration or deceleration, the number of miles driven, and a journey's time of day. Users then receive a report after a trip on their smartphone or the infotainment screen about these events behind the wheel. Everyone gets a five-percent discount just for signing up for the usage-based insurance, but after 90 days the safest drivers can get the maximum discount. Liberty Mutual also doesn't increase RightTrack client's insurance rates. "This partnership combines Liberty Mutual's extensive experience and reach in usage-based insurance with Subaru and Clarion's cutting-edge connected car technology to bring RightTrack savings to consumers in new ways," Hamid Mirza, auto product manager at Liberty Mutual Insurance, said in the announcement. A 2015 study indicated that 27 percent of older drivers had privacy concerns about usage-based insurance programs, but younger people had a growing willingness to try them. The industry says that showing clients how they drive can make them safer because folks realize what they're doing wrong. Plus, many people are attracted to the potential monthly savings. The RightTrack app should be available in late spring on any Subaru with the Starlink infotainment system, company spokesman Anthony Landamia told Autoblog. Liberty Mutual plans eventually to update the software to support other helpful features like severe weather alerts, accident scene assistance, and roadside assistance. Liberty Mutual Insurance and Subaru Introduce New Technology to Promote Safe Driving and Savings on Auto Insurance RightTrack® in-vehicle app powered by Clarion Smart Access™ features new innovation in usage-based insurance for SUBARU STARLINK™ Cloud app suite BOSTON – January 4, 2016 – From commuting to work to shuttling the kids, how safe of a driver are you?

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: