2016 Subaru Outback 2.5i on 2040-cars

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NHTSA releases updated Takata airbag recalled cars list, but it still has errors

Unfortunately, the government's list still contains errors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued an updated list of vehicle models that it's urging owners to repair under the mushrooming Takata airbag inflator recall. The latest version adds vehicles from new automakers like Subaru and Ford that are missing from the original announcement, and it also removes erroneous entries from General Motors, leaving only the 2005 Saab 9-2X (a reskinned Subaru WRX), and the 2003-2005 Pontiac Vibe, a joint project with Toyota.

Subaru's first hybrid drawing close

In 2011 Subaru parent company Fuji Heavy Industries confirmed that a hybrid Subaru would debut this year. Ever since, there's been speculation about what kind of technology the gasoline-electric hybrid would use - Subaru's own or some version of the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive, which car would debut the new system - Forester, Legacy, or Outback - and whether it would come to America or be a Japan-only model.
A report in The Detroit Bureau says that whatever that first model is, it could be shown as soon as the New York Auto Show, and while the company feels it's a must-have offering for the Japanese market it will also come to the US. It will have a Subaru-developed mild hybrid system that could have been previewed by the Hybrid Tourer concept shown at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, and is not expected to be able to drive on electric power alone. The Hybrid Tourer used a direct-injected, 2.0-liter boxer engine connected to a CVT and assisted by an electric motor rated at 13 horsepower. Subaru has yet to give anything away about the details of its hybrid plans, so we'll look to New York for the long-awaited unveil.

New-gen 2020 Subaru Outback carries on its rugged legacy

The Outback is Subaru's best-selling vehicle, and for good reason. It's capable, it's versatile, it wears inoffensive looks, and it offers plenty of modern tech in a relatively affordable package. So when it came time to rework the model and introduce a new generation, Subaru took the less-is-more approach to the aesthetic redesign, which only has subtle tweaks. The major changes come inside the cabin and beneath the sheetmetal by introducing a more premium interior, and an all-new XT trim with a torquey new 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer engine. Similar to the approach used to update the 2020 Legacy, Subaru refined the Outback at every level. That started with the car's bones and the Subaru Global Platform. Subaru says the 2020 Outback is 70 percent stiffer in torsional and front-suspension rigidity and 100 percent stiffer in front lateral flex and rear subframe rigidity. The improved structure is also said to be 40 percent more absorbent in front and side crashes. More exciting is the introduction of multiple XT trims, which come standard with a 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer engine. Like the Legacy, the Outback is getting rid of the 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine in favor of the model's first turbocharged offering since 2009. It makes 260 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 277 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpm, four more horsepower and 30 more lb-ft than the six-cylinder. Subaru notes the 2.4-liter engine offers a 3,500-pound towing capacity, which is an 800-pound improvement and the Outback's highest tow rating ever. It is estimated to get 23 mpg city and 30 mpg highway, compared to the 3.6's 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. All Outbacks come standard with permanent symmetrical all-wheel drive and a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) that offer an "eight-speed" manual mode and paddle shifters. Base-model Outbacks continue to use a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated boxer engine, which Subaru says has 90 percent new parts. Its specs increase to 182 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 176 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm from 175 horsepower and 174 lb-ft in the previous model. With the slight increases in power comes a lighter and more agile suspension. Up front the Outback will have MacPherson struts with an internal rebound spring and a new 0.9-inch hollow stabilizer bar. In the back, a double wishbone setup with coil springs and a 0.75-inch hollow stabilizer bar. Overall, the Outback maintains its impressive 8.7 inches of ground clearance.