2015 Subaru Forester 2.5i on 2040-cars

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Subaru Levorg 'prototype' revealed, looking pretty production-ready

The next-generation Subaru Levorg, better known as the WRX wagon the company has so far refused to give the U.S., has been revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show. It's technically called a "prototype," but it's clear that this is basically the production model. In fact, Subaru says production for it begins in the second half of next year. Many enthusiasts pine for the Levorg because it is a high-performance wagon that we don't get, but even if you don't care, there is reason to pay attention to this car. As the current version is basically a WRX, this is giving us our first look at the next generation of that car. Styling-wise, the new Levorg is heavily inspired by the Viziv Performance and Viziv Tourer concepts. It has a wide hexagonal grille with boomerang-shaped headlights surrounding it. The wheel arches have a strong trapezoidal shape, and there are sharp creases throughout. The overall profile of the car is still very similar to the current Levorg and WRX. Subaru has been light on the details for the rest of the car. The base engine will no longer be a turbocharged 1.6-liter, but rather a turbocharged 1.8-liter. While not announced, we wouldn't be surprised if it gets an upgraded turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, which will probably be shared with the WRX. All Levorgs will likely continue to only have a CVT. Subaru also mentions that it will have an updated version of EyeSight with stereo cameras, four radar sensors and high-resolution mapping that will reduce cruise control speeds for curves, and allow for hands-free gridlock driving. We wouldn't expect the Levorg to come to America, but the updated EyeSight is probably a shoo-in for future models.

Vehicles awarded IIHS Top Safety Pick awards skyrockets for 2015 [w/video]

By practically every measure, passenger vehicles in the US are continuing to get safer. With the year rapidly coming to an end, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is releasing its annual list tallying of the scores for the latest vehicles to see how they compare to last year. Judging by the agency's evaluations, the numbers look quite positive. According to the institute, 71 vehicles earned either the Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ rating so far in its testing for 2015. Among the latest winners, there have been 33 TSP+ awards and 38 TSP medalists. That's a healthy increase over the 22 TSP+ and 17 TSP grades in 2014. The figures appear even more impressive when you consider that it keeps getting harder to earn the + designation. In the latest round of testing, a vehicle must offer some form of front crash prevention automatic braking to get the mark. Previously, just a warning to drivers was necessary. This list also illustrates the ways that automakers adapt to new testing procedures. In 2013 there were 117 TSP ratings and 13 TSP+ awards. Then, the IIHS mandated that to be a safety pick, a model had to score Good in the institute's four crash tests, plus a Good or Acceptable in the small overlap front test. That brought a plunge in 2014 to just 17 TSP grades. With the numbers climbing again, companies apparently have deciphered how to perform better. Some brands especially stood out on this year's list. The IIHS praised Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and Acura for offering standard front crash prevention systems on some models. Subaru received at least one of the awards for all seven of its models. Toyota also had seven, and the Honda brand did too – though the institute counts the two- and four-door versions of the Civic and Accord separately. Check out the full announcement below and a video about this year's winners. The full list can be viewed, here. Safety gains ground: More vehicles earn top honors from IIHS The number of vehicles earning either of the Institute's two awards has jumped to 71 from 39 this time last year, giving consumers more choices for optimum protection in crashes. The number of winners in the top tier - TOP SAFETY PICK+ - has increased by 11 for 2015, despite a tougher standard for front crash prevention. "This is the third year in a row that we are giving automakers a tougher challenge to meet," says IIHS President Adrian Lund.

Best. Year. Ever. Subaru breaks yearly and monthly sales records in 2017

After a generally good sales year for most car manufacturers, one company had a spectacular year: Subaru. The company reported with its end-of-year sales that 2017 was it's best sales year of all time. The total was 647,956 vehicles sold over the 12 months. Not only that, but December was also the best month of sales the company has ever seen with 63,342 cars sold. That's nearly 10 percent of the annual sales in one month. As far as individual models go, the Impreza and Crosstrek each had their best month in December and 2017 was each model's best year. The Impreza's year was especially impressive with sales jumping more than 55 percent compared with 2016. It was also the best year for Outback. Subaru credits some of its strong December to its "Share the Love" promotion that donated $250 of each new car purchase to one of a selection of charities. But a big part of Subaru's sales success has to be due to the fact that most of its products are in the hottest car market around: crossovers. The fact that its products are highly competitive against other similar vehicles certainly helps too. This is partly evident by the fact that year-to-year, every crossover model with the exception of the aging Forester saw a sales increase. Meanwhile, every traditional car (Legacy, WRX/STI and BRZ) with the exception of the redesigned Impreza had lower sales for the year. So if you ever wonder why companies aren't racing to release new sedans and coupes, this is why. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.