Subaru Vortex Reviews

...when they’re flattened. There is nothing like an election campaign to get politicians into theatrical stunt mode. State elections often become bidding wars on crime and there is hardly a state in Australia where our politicians haven’t tried to demonstrate their toughness by advocating so-called “hoon” laws under which ratbag drivers have their cars confiscated and crushed. Having spent much of my life living in a hoon haven suburb of inner-west Sydney, where boofheads in souped-up Skylines and WRXs would habitually fang it along Norton St, Sydney’s Lygon St equivalent, I have no personal issue with the concept of crushing cars. Save for the fact that the stupider and most reckless offenders aren’t sitting behind the wheel when their cars are flattened. Hoon driving is a genuine scourge in this country, not only is it obviously dangerous, it is also deeply irritating, and habitually tops the list of number-one concerns of law-abiding folks in Australian suburbia. Nice though the idea of crushing their cars sounds, the only problem with it is that it also appears to be illegal. The Supreme Court ruled this month that mandatory legislated car crushing denies judges their right to discretion, and as such is unconstitutional. Read full story here.  

It’s not often that the entire Australian motoring media agrees on the merits of a particular vehicle but such has been the case with the new Subaru BRZ. This exciting and affordable two-door coupe has gained rave reviews from just about everyone who’s driven it, although sadly very few members of the public, and so potential buyers, have had that opportunity and won’t have for some time.VALUEHigh global demand meant that barely BRZ 200 models made it to Australia. Of these around 50 were allocated to dealers as demonstrators meaning that demand was always going to heavily outweigh supply and all available cars were sold in just over three hours when they went on sale in July this year.BRZ is built at Subaru’s Ota plant in Japan as a joint venture with the company’s part-owner, Toyota, and it competes directly against its identical twin, the Toyota 86.The division of labour between the two companies makes a lot of sense with Toyota looking after the product planning and styling while Subaru in charge of its engineering development and production.With so few cars available Subaru adopted the unusual strategy of selling the BRZ exclusively over the internet and with national driveaway pricing – $37,150 for the manual and $39,730 for the automatic. While the entry-level Toyota 86 GT manual is priced at $29,990 that’s before on-road costs and with lower equipment levels than the Subaru so an apples-with-apples comparison brings the two models closer together in price.Standard equipment includes cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear lever, push-button start and stop, sports seats, front and rear foglights and power folding side mirrors.Those that were lucky enough to purchase a BRZ will soon be able to dress it up with a range of performance parts and accessories that were shown with an STI concept car at the Sydney motor show and which will be on sale progressively from November.These parts include front, side and boot lip spoilers, 17-inch alloy wheels, sports muffler, push start switch, instrument panel trim, black wheel nuts, rear under diffuser and flexible tower bar.TECHNOLOGYThe BRZ breaks new ground for Subaru in that it has rear-wheel drive – all its other Australian models have all-wheel drive.Power for the BRZ comes from an all-new 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed petrol engine that generates 147 kW of power at 7000 rpm and 205 Nm of torque at 6600 revs. We’ve always loved the throaty sound of the Subaru ‘boxer’ engine and so were quite happy to sit and enjoy this aural prelude before setting out on our test drive.SAFETYEquipment levels are high with standard safety equipment that includes dual front, side and curtain airbags, ABS brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability Control and a retractor brake pedal. It comes with a five-star ANCAP rating.DESIGNThe Subaru coupe certainly looks the part with its low-slung styling and short overhangs. The front is dominated by a large, hexagonal grille with sweeping headlights and the rear is tall and square with an additional brake light positioned between twin large tail pipes.Too often otherwise enjoyable driving cars are spoilt by cramped interior space but although it’s necessary to hunker down into the driver’s seat, once settled in the seat is firm but comfortable and there’s plenty of leg and headroom.Although there are four seats the rear pair are basically there for emergency use rather than for long-distance travel. The boot is quite small although the rear seatbacks do fold flat for extra storage space. Surprisingly for a car where space is at a premium BRZ comes with a full-size spare wheel.Weight minimisation is paramount with performance cars and the BRZ’s combination of high tensile steel in the body and aluminium bonnet and wheels has kept its weight down to 1256 kg (manual) and 1278 kg (automatic).DRIVINGAs expected in a car of this type, the ride is firm with plenty of feel for the road yet comfortable enough for an extended trip. Steering is precise and direct with excellent driver feedback.Both the six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmissions were specifically developed for the BRZ. Our test car had the manual, a delightful short-throw unit which is fast and smooth and just asks to be used frequently.VERDICTWe’ve left the bad news until last because, despite ongoing pleading with Subaru’s head office decision makers, the worldwide popularity of the BRZ means that there could be a wait for up to a year before the next shipload arrives in Australia.Subaru BRZPrice: from $37,150 (manual) to $39,730 (automatic)Warranty: 3 yearsEngine: 2.0-litre horizontal four-cylinder petrol, 147kW/205NmTransmission: six-speed manual or automatic, rear-wheel driveThirst: 7.8L/100Km, 181 g/km CO2

Subaru will not only debut a hot production version of the coupe with an after-market sports kit at the Australian International Motor Show, but also a stunning BRZ motorsport pack. The car, which has already sold out until the middle of next year, will be a catwalk highlight at the show. The company is now offering buyers a range of genuine factory backed Subaru Tecnica International (STI) and performance parts and accessories on delivery of their BRZ sports car or after-market for those who have already taken delivery. Prices have not yet been negotiated with Fuji Heavy Industries, but the products will be backed by a factory warranty. The BRZ STI parts and accessories on the display car include: front under spoiler, side under spoiler, boot lip spoiler, flexible tower bar, black wheel nut set, 17-inch STI alloy wheels, coil spring set, quick shift gear lever, sports muffler, gear shift knob and rear under diffuser. Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior said the kit would satisfy pent-up market demand.  “All indications are that many BRZ buyers want to add performance touches to their cars,’’ he says. “Choosing Subaru-backed equipment offers great design, quality and peace of mind that isn’t necessarily guaranteed by after-market suppliers.’’ STI is Subaru’s performance arm and is respected worldwide by car enthusiasts for its fully tested range. The motorsport pack will be available for sale to BRZ customers for recreational or competitive track time. While details of the BRZ motorsport pack are not yet available, Subaru has ruled out a turbo or supercharger. They also can’t reveal if there is a computer chip available for a power boost. It’s only a matter of time before the sports coupe starts hitting the tracks around Australia and, with the level of online discussion, possibly even their own racing category. The potent BRZ variants will share some of the spotlight at the Subaru stand with two new Liberty variants as well as the 2013 model Outback, XV and Impreza.  

The WRX is heading for the biggest makeover since it was created in the 1990s as part of the product renewal plan that's already seen the new Impreza on the road and will soon produce a next-generation Forester. But the workload at Subaru in Japan, including development of the BRZ sports car and then getting it into full-scale production, means there is no chance of an early update to the WRX."I don't know where talk of 2013 would have come from. The WRX has always been 2014," the managing director of Subaru Australia, Nick Senior, confirms to Carsguide. "The strategy that was put in place three years ago was that the WRX and STi would take on a life of their own. And the Impreza becomes a standalone model as well."From a timing point of view, Impreza was first cab off the rank, then the introduction of the BRZ as well. The timeline for WRX and STi slots into 2014." Senior refuses to discuss rumours of a radical remake of the WRX that turns it into a sportier compact hatch, despite persistent talk around the world and dozens of artist's impressions of how the car could look." It will be performance oriented, and a visually exciting car," is all he says. "I think the enthusiasts will not be disappointed. It has been a mandate from day one when doing this next generation that it is not to lose its edge." While the WRX is over the horizon, the new Forester is closing fast and brochure pictures of the newcomer have recently hit the internet.Senior says the car is locked for Australia and hints at a motor show appearance in the USA soon, either at Los Angeles in November or Detroit in January. "We'll have a new Forester in quarter one. They are working through the launch plan as we speak. They haven't decided where they will show it."Turning back to the WRX, Senior says he is not worried about the 18-month run-up to the arrival of the new-model. "The WRX has been oner of the most consistent performers we've had in the stable. Month-in and month-out, we are regularly around 150 to 170 cars in Australia."But it also reacts extremly well to special editions, and we sold over 300 last month with the latest Club Spec with organge and black colours. It's almost a sellout." He says there will be extra editions through 2013 but refuses to give any detail. "We're looking, obviously, at keeping it fresh with one or two special editions between now and the end of the model life. Short and sharp and sweet. "There is a lot of competition in that segment but the WRX is still recognised and admired.Iconic is an over-used word, but to have somethign that's been around since 1994 and still kicking along at 150-plus a month ... "We're not at the supersonic levels of the dot-com era, but a lot of people would like 150 units of a $40,000 sports car every month."And what about the BRZ, and hopes of getting extra cars for Australia?"We're tyring desperately without much success. We're out to July next year," Senior says glumly.

When I was a little bloke, a visit to the old Sydney Showgrounds was always a very special event.

Pretty isn't a word lavished on the Subaru Forester. But a glimpse at the new model due February shows that there has been some attractive softening of the wagon that brings it closer to the popular XV model.The next Forester will wear Subaru's new family grille - a smaller, squared look that defines the Asian SUV segment - and Impreza tail lights, but unlike the low XV, retains its tall-hat look for maximum cabin space. It will be slightly bigger than the current model, which has been on sale since 2008, by 35mm in length, 15mm in height and 20mm wider.The platform is modified from the latest Impreza/XV and claims to allow a bigger boot - to 505 litres from the current model's 450 litres. Subaru's Forester has been shown in past weeks as an image in a brochure - now we’re seeing a snap taken in a holding carpark. Standard will be Subaru's recently upgraded 110kW/196Nm 2-litre but there will also be a twin-scroll turbocharged version tagged 2.0 XT. Instead of a horizontal intercooler mounted under the bonnet lid, the turbo model it is likely to have it conventionally mounted as a vertical unit behind the grille. There will also be a turbo-diesel option with a six-speed manual or CVT automatic.The next Forester will also be the cheapest Subaru to be offered with the company's EyeSight technology that incorporates adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and autonomous pre-collision braking. 

In its mind-boggling ability to multi-task, the latest Subaru is the automotive equivalent of a platypus. Made from parts of other models and sitting 50mm higher than its peers, the city-bred sedan with farming aspirations stands alone.Perhaps not since the German Army in 1941 sat a Volkswagen Beetle body atop an all-wheel drive platform (Type 87 Kommandeurwagen) have we had his curious mix of an innocuous sedan with a serious off-road bent. But the Subaru Liberty X is more than a four-door skin with an Outback drivetrain.At $44,490, it is a remarkable showcase of state-of-the-art safety systems and gives Australians access to a car that will avoid pedestrians, other cars and those infuriating moving bollards. It will seat five people, is at the pinnacle of automotive safety, is comfortable, relatively fuel efficient, loaded with features and even well built.It can be all things to almost all men - and women - and though it's a combination of other car models, it is as bizarrely adaptable as Australian fauna and clearly would have been the automobile of choice of Charles Darwin.VALUEAffordable is the keyword here. The Liberty X is based on the top-line Liberty model but gets the high-riding suspension from the Outback wagon. It suits country folk, motorists with challenging driveways and owners who for some reason have less flexible bodies.The X's extra seat height makes it easy to get in and out. Standard fare is impressive, starting with the Eyesight technology but adding 18-inch alloys, a superb McIntosh audio, sat-nav on a 200mm touch screen, electric front seats with heaters, leather upholstery and sunroof. It costs $44,490 for the 2.5-litre model but for more oomph, the 3.6-litre model is $55,990.DESIGNSubjectively, the latest Liberty isn't as pretty as its predecessor. But it is noticeably wider in the cabin and offers more rear-seat room. The extra 50mm ride height looks a bit strange but definitely makes access to the cabin much easier than the standard Liberty.The dashboard is hard plastic but cleverly doesn't look low rent, while switch layout is good and the electric parkbrake is a boon. I'm disappointed there is no split-fold rear seat which would have better suited the car's do-anything role. Leather seats are nice but, again, cloth would be more durable.TECHNOLOGYEyesight is Subaru's name for a camera and sonar-based radar system that detects objects in front of the moving car. Only Volvo has something similar. The system includes adaptive cruise control, lane-change monitor, lead vehicle start alert and an autonomous pre-collision braking system with emergency brake assist.Brilliant. The 123kW/229Nm 2.5-litre flat-four engine is adequate and helped by a CVT auto - with paddle shifters - that doesn't have the horrible vices of some of Subaru's peers. The AWD system is constant, so it always has all wheels driven which is grippy on gravel roads and wet bitumen.SAFETYEyesight (see Technology) tops the bill but there's more. The car has a five-star crash rating, seven airbags, auto wipers and lights, a reverse camera and wiper de-icers. The spare is a temporary tyre. DRIVINGIt drives like any other Liberty around the city but corners and side winds make a subtle impact in the way the car holds the road. It's typical of a car with extra ground clearance and is the reason why some (expensive) SUVs have adjustable suspension that lowers the vehicle at high speeds.There is a bit more body roll through corners and side winds buffet the car. The light steering feel is excellent for parking though the Liberty has quite a wide turning circle. Quietness and comfort are very good with low wind and tyre noise. The engine is adequate and some buyers may prefer the more sparkling 3.6 model for an extra $11,500.Off the mark the 2.5 feels weak but has stronger mid and top-end delivery. The CVT auto displays its characteristic elastic-band engagement when accelerating but isn't as crude as some rival makes. The Liberty X is as accomplished in the dirt as its Outback sister.The high 200mm ground clearance makes it tall enough to avoid dirt-road and track undulations and rocks while the long-travel suspension offers a cushy ride. It'll find its way down to the beach but is better in the company of a more traditional 4WD.VERDICTI like it. It has the style of a sedan (though not a particularly pretty one) and has an enviable go-anywhere ability, but undoubtedly its biggest feature is the Eyesight technology.

...the car will get a featured role in the upcoming The Fast And The Furious 6,  tentatively set for release in May of 2013.Motor Trend reports that Subaru has delivered five BRZ coupes to the film’s production company, which can’t make customers awaiting delivery of the rarer-than-honest-politicians coupe very happy. It’s one thing to see your car on screen, but it’s something else when it means waiting longer for delivery.As with previous Fast and the Furious installments, expect the BRZ to appear wearing a full aero kit, complete with splitters, diffusers, side skirts and an almost comically-large rear wing. There’s no doubt that the horsepower will be upped, too, and we’d expect to see both forced induction and nitrous injection if the car has a starring role.If Subaru has delivered five BRZs, we suspect it may be featured in the film, and even Motor Trend seems to suggest it will be driven by one of the main actors, including Vin Diesel, Paul Walker or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.It’ll likely be crashed, too, so we’ll offer up this free advice ahead of the film’s release: if you’re awaiting delivery of your own BRZ coupe and the thought of seeing one destroyed on screen makes you nauseous, you may want to wait for the film’s release to video.www.motorauthority.com 

The Forester is Subaru’s top seller here, and was the best-selling compact SUV for the previous four years. The current model has slid slightly in run-out mode, but the next one – due in the first quarter of 2013 – still has big shoes to fill. Looking at the leaked brochure for the Japanese market, it’s a more attractive vehicle than the outgoing one. And there’s likely to be little visual change for Australia – although the mechanical specs could vary.  Despite the warping of the curved pages, the images show a more streamlined body, with cues from the latest Impreza and the XV softroader. Two spec levels are shown, L and XT – the latter getting a sportier nose and wheels, plus extra chrome trim.  The leaked pages show the next Forester has grown 35mm longer and 15mm wider than the current car, and will measure up 4595mm long, 1795mm wide, 1695mm high and have a 25mm longer wheelbase at 2640mm. Luggage capacity will also grow from the current 450 litres to between 488-505 litres in various models. Overseas markets will kick off with two 2.0-litre engine choices: the naturally aspirated 110kW unit from the Subaru XV, and a twin-scroll turbocharged one for the XT, with transmission options a six-speed manual and a CVT – in both cases driving all four wheels. However a diesel is also on the cards, and would likely be on the wishlist for Australia. The brochure details show that Subaru’s safety ‘Eyesight’ technology is likely to be offered on range-topping variants. However, Subaru Australia spokesperson David Rowley says parent company Fuji Heavy Industries is “not confirming that what we’re seeing is the next Forester” – or any other details. “When it will be unveiled? FHI have told us there is no definite date for the unveiling or for an official on-sale date in Japan or elsewhere,” he says. However he acknowledges that if it is the Forester, Subaru practice means there could be some changes in the engine line-up we get. “There are actually quite significant variations in spec in different Subaru markets,” he says. “We’re not in a position to disclose what our specs might be, but there could well be different technical variations. “There will be a variety of drivetrains available but we can’t confirm what those will be.” However he can confirm the significance of the Forester to Subaru’s sales here. “It’s our top-selling model, and the completely new-generation Forester will be hugely important to us,” he says.

Subaru UK has announced a mouth-watering price offer on its high-performance WRX STI model of just $41,130. At this price, the WRX STI becomes one of the performance car bargains currently available in the UK. An additional finance offer means the STI can be financed at under $457 a month. At the same time, Subaru UK has created a further engine upgrade for the STI so that customers can create a new high-performance All-Wheel Drive flagship, the WRX STI 340R. The new 340R power upgrade, which adds $2436 to the price, is available alongside the 320R (with 235kW and 450Nm) which was first launched last year. Both the 340R and 320R power upgrades can be applied retroactively without affecting a car's warranty. Available immediately, the WRX STI 340R boasts 250kW and 490Nm of torque substantial increases of 29kW and 83Nm over the standard WRX STI making the 340R one of the fastest point-to-point cars on the road. The 340R power upgrade features different ECU settings to allow the 2.5-litre horizontally-opposed, four-cylinder boxer engine to produce more power, while airflow has improved as a result of a new exhaust system, which also provides drivers with a thrilling soundtrack and the iconic Subaru burble.