Subaru Leone Reviews

If you want to get your hands on a car that was never sold new in Australia by the manufacturer, there is only one way to get it: you have to import it.

Subaru has joined the electric vehicle market with its newest launch, the Solterra. Created in a joint partnership with Toyota, the Solterra still sees the adventuring heart of Subaru safeguarded with each Solterra model only being offered as an AWD. Is this long-awaited EV entry enough to whet the whistle for Subaru enthusiasts?

Toyota and Subaru’s technological partnerships continue to grow following the introduction of second-gen GR86/BRZ and first ever electric models the bZ4X and Solterra.Subaru’s sixth-generation Forester, already on sale in North America, will use a Toyota hybrid system from 2025 and there’s suggestion the Crosstrek small SUV will also use the so-called ‘strong hybrid’ as soon as 2024.A report from Japanese newspaper Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun suggests Subaru could implement a Toyota hybrid system in the current Crosstrek this year, as it targets a hybrid sales share of 70 per cent in Japan by 2030 – with the remainder to be EV. This does go against Subaru’s global commitment to roll out strong hybrids from 2025, however the report might be suggesting the technology will be unveiled later this year before '25 production.The new Forester is expected to be the first Subaru sold in Australia with a Toyota-sourced battery along with other high-voltage electric components allied with Subaru’s signature flat-four ‘boxer’ engine layout. Exact details are still to be determined. "We're very excited about that - I've always said with next-gen Forester it's our number-one selling model in Australia, so we need to put our best foot forward - we believe that strong hybrid technology will be a big shot in the arm", Subaru Australia Managing Director Blair Read told CarsGuide in March.The second-gen XV/Crosstrek was sold in Australia with Subaru’s 107kW e-Boxer mild-hybrid system, which is effectively unchanged for the current small SUV. The e-Boxer mild-hybrid technology isn’t able to compete with Toyota’s efficiency. The Crosstrek hybrid’s ADR combined consumption rating is 6.5L/100km compared to 4.4L/100km of an equivalent Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid. In road tests, CarsGuide has found Subaru’s system to be less efficient in the real world than Toyota’s, with greater gulfs between rated and returned consumption figures.The rumoured Crosstrek hybrid wouldn’t be the first of its kind with the rare North American market Crosstrek plug-in hybrid offered from 2019 with the PHEV system from Toyota’s Prius Prime. It was sold in certain states with strict emissions regulations, including California, as a compliance car. Other brands plan to, or are already using Toyota hybrid tech, including Mazda with its CX-50 and China’s GAC that will launch in Australia next year.Subaru Australia said there was currently no more information to share on future hybrid models yet. The Crosstrek – previously XV – launched locally in May 2023 with a mild-hybrid option.Other future changes for the small SUV include a ‘big block’ 136kW/239Nm 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder and tougher Wilderness variant, though a more efficient hybrid is most enticing with Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) looming.

With production ending in 2025 after 36 influential years, the Subaru Liberty has had an impact, not just for the brand, its class, the market and, ultimately, even the wider world, but also in important and even culturally significant ways. Here, then, are the 10 major legacies left by the Subaru Australians know as Liberty.

Subaru is freshening up its Outback wagon and Forester SUV line-ups with two new special editions. The Outback Premium and Forester Luxury special editions are due to arrive in dealerships later this month.

Completely redesigned inside and out, and with a bigger engine, extensive chassis updates and more safety tech, the second-gen Subaru BRZ rights most of the (admittedly very few) wrongs of the 2012 original. Now, there's the tS flagship, bringing minor suspension and brake upgrades to an already sharply accomplished driving package, but no more performance. Has one of the best become even better?

The Subaru Crosstrek family has a new memeber - the 2.0X Limited Edition - which adds extra features for a little bit more money.

Some carmakers have some very conspicuous gaps in their product portfolios. There’s no rhyme or reason why, and no consistency across brands. Just the glaring holes that would surely make their lives – and not to mention their associated dealers – happier if filled with the right models. Here are the main offenders.

No mid-life facelift just yet, the Outback soldier on with a few choice changes and $1K price bump.

Subaru's sixth-generation Impreza range has been trimmed down to just three variants and one hatchback body-style, and the 2.0S is the top-spec offering.