2013 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Ltd Awd Sunroof Leather 16k Mi Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

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Subaru secures permit to test self-driving car in California

The list of automakers that can test their self-driving cars in California is getting less and less exclusive by the minute. Its latest addition? Subaru. The Japanese company has secured an Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit from the state's DMV on February 9th, bringing the total number to 22. Some Subaru models already have assisted driving features thanks to their camera-based Eyesight system, such as adaptive cruise control, sway warning and pre-collision braking. However, the company is developing new capabilities meant to kick in while doing speeds of up to 40 mph, including the ability to auto-start and stop in slow traffic. Subaru also wants to offer lane switching and auto-steering around bends and curves -- semi-autonomous driving capabilities for highways -- by 2020. It's unclear what features Subaru will be testing exactly, and if they're any of these. All that's certain is that it's joining both big-name and little-known companies on California roads, like NVIDIA, Ford, Good and Baidu. This article by Mariella Moon originally appeared on Engadget, your guide to this connected life. Related Video: News Source: DMV Government/Legal Subaru Technology Autonomous Vehicles California

2021 Subaru Crosstrek is finally getting a more powerful engine

Subaru will address one of the Crosstrek's biggest shortcomings by making a 2.5-liter flat-four engine available in time for the 2021 model year. It will power the range-topping Limited trim and a new Sport-badged model. You asked, and the Japanese company is listening. Tom Doll, the CEO of Subaru's American division, told industry trade journal Automotive News that many customers have complained about the 152-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that has powered the current-generation Crosstrek since its launch. Put bluntly: It's slow.  "One of the things that our customers were telling us about the Crosstrek was it was maybe a little underpowered with the 2.0-liter engine. Well, the 2.5-liter engine will solve that problem," he announced at a dealer meeting. While he stopped short of divulging technical details, Subaru has a pair of 2.5-liter flat-fours to choose from in its parts bin. The first is a turbocharged unit rated at 310 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque when it's thumping under the WRX STI's hood. Don't get your hopes up — that's not what's going in the Crosstrek, sadly. Nothing is official, but it's reasonable to assume Doll was referring to the naturally-aspirated four available in the Forester, the Outback, and the Legacy. It delivers 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque in all three applications. Subaru will usher the 2.5-liter into the Crosstrek range by expanding it with a new trim level called Sport. The range-topping Limited will also be offered with the bigger engine. Pricing information hasn't been announced yet, and neither has availability, but the peppier Crosstrek will likely arrive later in 2020 as a 2021 model. The Crosstrek is a jacked-up Impreza with a more rugged design, so it stands to reason the 2.5-liter fits in both models. There's no word yet on whether the equally underpowered Impreza will receive it. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Let's all take a moment to smile at this tiny Subaru van

The news is really depressing. You're stuck at home, hopefully working but possibly not. The kids home from school just ... won't ... calm ... down.  We need something to make us smile, so allow me to present a tiny morsel of happiness that is this 1993 Subaru Sambar Dias van currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer. One might call this a mini van if a minivan wasn't already a thing (and in no way mini any more), but the actual term is a "Kei-class van," referring the Japanese Kei class of vehicles that are teeny-tiny and capped at an engine displacement of 660cc. Some fun stuff: this Sambar Dias has beautifully maintained cloth upholstery with oh-so-Japanese lace covers for the headrests and upper seat backs. There are also rear captain's chairs, so really, the 1993 Subaru Sambar Dias is exactly like a 2020 Subaru Ascent Touring. It rides on 12-inch wheels, meaning you can use a Chicago deep-dish pizza as a spare tire in a pinch, and there are side wind deflectors because of a reason. There's a cassette deck and crank windows, but as the Sambar is roughly eight inches wide, it should be pretty easy to just reach over from one side to the other and roll'em down. Which is good news since, as a right-hand-drive car, that would otherwise be a pain in the lace-covered neck at drive thrus or parking garages. A 1993 Sambar would be from the nameplate's fifth generation, which perfectly spanned the 1990s. The "Dias" bit refers to the wagon version you see here as opposed to the commercial trucks and vans. There was also a Dias Classic, which is in a whole other league of wackadoo cuteness. Unlike any literal minivan in 1993, the Sambar Dias came with dual sliding rear doors -- Chrysler wouldn't introduce their dual-slider option until 1996. That rear-mounted 660cc engine produced 54 horsepower and is paired here with a five-speed manual transmission. There was an all-wheel-drive version, but that was apparently exclusively paired with the automatic.  There's actually one of these buddles of van joy in my neighborhood here in Portland, which like the entire Pacific Northwest, is a hotbed for oddball Japanese vans from the 1990s and earlier. The trend apparently started up in British Columbia where vans like the Mitsubishi Delica and Toyota Hiace started to be imported after the Canadian 15-year waiting period rather than the American requirement of 25.