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WRX Concept gets walkaround with Subaru design boss Osamu Namba

The Subaru WRX Concept was the only concept car to be mentioned among our Editors' Choice favorites for New York Auto Show debuts this year - snagging the No. 3 spot nonetheless - due to what it could mean to the future of Subaru if it indeed becomes a reality. Now that we've caught our breath from walking countless miles through the Javits Center, Subaru has released a brief video of design boss Osamu Namba describing some of the exterior styling elements of the sporty concept sedan.
While this video is just your basic walkaround that gives no mention of the concept's inspiration or what we can expect from the next-generation WRX, it is still fun to watch Namba explain many of the car's design elements including the more aggressive face, the quadruple exhaust outlets and the signature flared wheel arches and side outlet fender vents. If you liked the WRX Concept as much as we did, scroll down to watch this short video.

Subaru STI version of Viziv Performance Concept will debut at Tokyo Show

When Subaru revealed the Viziv Performance Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, there were many rumblings that it previewed the next Subaru WRX. That possibility seems much more likely now that we've had a glimpse at Subaru's concept for the Tokyo Auto Salon, the Viziv Performance STI Concept, which could be a preview of the next WRX STI. Though we only have a couple teaser images to work with, we can clearly see that it's a flashier machine all-around. In the grille is the trademark pink STI badge, and it's matched by pink accent lines in the grille, the front lip spoiler, new air inlet, side skirts, and on the rear wing. And in true STI fashion, the rear wing is enormous. It also looks like the fender flares may be slightly wider than the standard Viziv concept. Other than what we can see, we don't know much else about this concept. Since it's a Subaru, it's sure to have a flat-4 engine and all-wheel drive. We can also make out the roof sensors from the last Viziv, indicating that this, too, will have fancy driver assistance systems. And if the development of the Subaru Ascent from the Viziv-7 is anything to go by, this concept will probably lead to a production model. As we've said before, though, we'd caution Subaru fans against high hopes, since Subaru has already shown in the past that its concepts don't always translate to production. Related Video: Image Credit: Subaru Tokyo Auto Salon Subaru Concept Cars Performance Sedan subaru viziv perfromance concept

Subaru could have all-electric CUV by 2021

Subaru doesn't exactly have an industry-leading electric vehicle program. It sells the Impreza Sport Hybrid in Japan and the Crosstrek Hybrid in the US. There have been electrified rumors and concept cars, but Subaru has been more content to promote getting out into the environment rather than using your car to help it. But maybe this'll change in 2021. That's when, according to a report in the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun newspaper in Japan, the automaker will introduce an midsize, all-electric AWD CUV in the US. The EV would be based on the Forester or Outback and use a new global platform. As for where the cells, batteries, or motors would come from, there was no mention. The newspaper cited unnamed sources and all that an on-the-record spokesperson would say is that, "We have yet to decide on any specifics at the moment." Or, as Subaru of America's national manager of product communications, Dominick Infante, told AutoblogGreen, "It's a bit early for us to discuss electric vehicles and PHEVs." There's a good reason for Subaru to be considering going electric, and it's the same one that's pushing the entire industry to zero-emission vehicles: tighter emissions regulations. As much as we want to know everything now, it appears that Subaru is taking the same approach to all-electric vehicles as it did with hybrids. At the New York Auto Show in 2013, Subaru's executive vice president Tom Doll said that, "We at Subaru were not the first to market with a hybrid, but we sure made sure we did it right." If it takes the company until 2021 to release an EV, it had better get it right. Related Video: