Subaru Vortex Reviews

The Japanese car-maker has undertaken a revamp of the flat-four "Boxer" turbodiesels in its Forester and Outback model line-ups that has improved fuel economy, emissions and broadened the engine range of peak torque. The 108kW (110kW in the Outback) and 350Nm outputs remain unchanged but is now available a little earlier in the rev range - 1600rpm instead of 1800rpm. Subaru says the fuel use has improved by up to 6.2 per cent, which puts the Forester and Outback diesel models at a combined-cycle figure of six litres per 100km . The flat-four turbodiesel has been given a new exhaust camshaft profile, more efficient exhaust-gas recirculation and some lightened engine internals to reduce fuel consumption. Multiple transmission changes - low-friction bearings and gearshift system among them - have produced lower friction and greater efficiency, says Subaru, but there's no sign of an auto. Subaru Australia's David Rowley says there are no immediate plans for an automtic transmission to accompany the diesel powerplant. "There are no immediate plans for an automatic, we would certainly love an auto and we will be at the head of the queue when one becomes available, but that's not an option presently," he says. "We're very pleased with the response to the diesels in both the cars since we launched them, so we're keen to build on that when an auto becomes available, but there's no timeframe." Mr Rowley says the natural disasters and engineering and development focus on the new XV and Impreza models would have taken priority over development of an automatic. Pricing has been left untouched despite the extra development - the Forester diesel starts from $36,490, rising to $40,990 for the Premium model. Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior says diesels represent up to 20 per cent of respective Forester and Outback range sales. "These significant refinements to engine and transmission make an even more compelling case. The smoother gear change helps more efficient driving and better fuel economy, which is a major focus for Subaru diesel customers," he says. The Outback diesel is priced from $40,990 for the manual an d $46,990 for the Premium model.

And it’s great viewing even if you’re not a fan of the marque. But if you are a Suby tragic, you’ll be shedding tears of nostalgic pride well before the advertisement ends.The XV range will be launched next week in three spec levels: 2.0i, 2.0i-L and 2.0i-S  all with soft-touch finishes, uprated instrumentation, new interiors and seven airbags.The 2.0i has a reversing camera, comprehensive multi-function display, cruise control, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for the CVT variants, Bluetooth connectivity and audio streaming, auto air-con and black roof rails.The 2.0-L adds an electric sunroof, dual-zone air-con, SatNav with SMS voice text and voice control, and rear privacy glass and the premium S model has the luxury of leather trim, eight-way adjustable driver's seat, heated front seats, alloy pedals, silver roof rails and HID Xenon headlights.The motor is the same 110kW/196Nm 2.0-litre as used in the new Impreza, which will arrive in Oz about two months after the XV, and transmission is a choice of six-speed manual or stepless CVT.The hi-tech' all-new boxer engine uses lots of light materials, variable valve timing and peripherals like electric power steering and a stop-start system to cut fuel use by around 20 per cent.Subaru says the XV will average 7.0 litres/100km, (7.3 for the manual) which will give it a cruising range of about 850km.Subaru XV CrossoverPrice: TBABody: 5-door, 5-seater sub-compact SUVEngine: 2.0-litre, 110kW/196NmModels: 2.0i, 2.0i-L and 2.0i-STransmissions: 5-speed manual transmission, 4-speed automatic transmission with manual mode.Drive: All-wheel-drive system.Safety: DataDot security system , Immobiliser security system , Vehicle pre-wired for alarm system installation, SRS 3 airbags-dual front, dual front side & curtain.Economy: 7.0 litres/100kmWarranty: 3 year/unlimited km warranty

Or get the chance to buy “insurance” to cheat at golf. But those were just a couple of the highlights of the recent Adtrans annual golf day, which raised a record amount of $108,000 for South Australian charities. “Our golf day has the reputation of being one of the best in town,” spokesperson Deborah Mitchell said. “Starting with a barbecue lunch and drinks, everybody is encouraged to have fun and with the purchase of “Insurance” they can even cheat a bit on the way round.” “A hugely popular activity this year was the chance to ‘hole in one’ onto a car parked on the course. It was organised by our Eblen Subaru dealership, and every player that contributed $10 to the kitty and managed to hit the car was rewarded with a Subaru jacket. “Another popular stop is the “pancake tee”, where the lovely gals from Adrian Brien Automotive have mastered the art of cooking and flipping pancakes to serve as a snack to the hungry players on their way round -- coupled with a wee glass of delicious wine from Amadio Wines. No prizes for guessing why that was a popular spot.” Ms Mitchell said this year’s beneficiaries of the annual charity golf day were Minda, Make-A-Wish® Australia, Youth Opportunities, Peter Couche Foundation, Trinity Gardens Primary School, and Clovelly Park Primary School, to benefit some children with very important needs. “We donated a brand new Toyota Yaris to Minda and made cash donations to the rest of the beneficiaries,” she said. “This year’s record fundraising result means that we have been proudly able to raise more than $1,000,000 for children’s charities over the last twenty four years through the ongoing and generous support of our business partners & friends.” Ms Mitchell said the annual event was able to achieve this wonderful result “because of the generous donations from our sponsors and guests on the day – not to forget the hard work and dedication of the staff from around the Adtrans Group who volunteer their time and energy”. “Every player gets a Cutter & Buck polo shirt to wear on the day and keep, they all get a goodie bag to take home and at the dinner we give out lots of novelty prizes and best teams & players prizes. We always have a great guest speaker, and this year was no exception with the audience able to hear from the new coach of the Adelaide Crows, Brenton Sanderson. “We also have a great auction, with prizes like hot laps at the Clipsal 500, trips to the AFL Grand Final, a ‘money can’t buy’ bus ride in the Credit Union Christmas Pageant and much, much more – with Phil De Pinto from Universal Motor Auctions donating his time every year to do a fab, fast paced job as auctioneer.”

The Japanese sports car is finally confirmed for local owners in the first half of 2012 with a promise that it will deliver the real-world enjoyment of the best computer driving games. "We want to take kids from Gran Turismo simulation to grand turismo reality," Nick Senior, managing director of Subaru Australia, tells Carsguide. He is promising a breakthrough sports car that - despite being shared with Toyota as the 86 - will deliver on Subaru's strengths and satisfy the early adopter in Adelaide who was first with a local deposit. "This is a chance for us to appeal to younger people, the 25-35 year-olds, and people who might not have considered a Subaru in the past. It's also for people who might not have been able to afford a WRX," Senior says. He refuses to be drawn on price but admits Subaru will only have a single, full-loaded BRZ with just one option - most likely a sunroof. With Toyota planning a sub-$35,000 starting sticker for the 86, that points to a BRZ at less than $40,000. "It's all about the offering to the customer. We will only get one specification. We won't have a base model and there will be only one option," Senior says. "We haven't even talked pricing with the factory yet. I'll do that in February." Senior says Subaru will not go head-to-head with the Toyota 86, even though the cars are virtually identical from their Subaru chassis and the 147 kiloWatt engine package to the Toyota-styled coupe body. "That's the challenge. Part of the whole decision making process was that we have to think about doing things differently. Being a bit innovative," he says. "We'll be looking at the whole-of-life benefits to our customers. That's where the focus has been, and continues to be." Subaru took months to finally commit to the BRZ and Senior says the decision was influenced by everything from the car's Subaru DNA to the response from Australian buyers. "We have been overwhelmed by the response to the BRZ since its unveiling in Tokyo. People have been pleading for us to bring the BRZ into the country." The BRZ will take a new place in the Subaru Australia range, without the company's signature all-wheel drive or the turbocharged engine - it's a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four - fitted to the WRX and STI hero cars. “It’s a driver’s car, so is in keeping with our fun to drive philosophy. But the STI will always be the pinnacle," Senior says. "As the factory has said, the next generation of WRX and STI is going to be a standalone nameplate. For performance, STI will be the pinnacle. So the BRZ is like a taster, or a sampler plate at a restaurant. It's a precursor to getting a WRX or an STI later on. We hope to get a younger audience. And traditionally WRX has been over 35. So we would like to get an under-35 audience. There will be an older group too, and they are likely to be the 'weekend warriors' who like to enjoy their cars, maybe occasionally with some laps on a track."

Echoing the design path of the Volvo XC70, Subaru Outback and Skoda Octavia Scout, the world number two manufacturer launches its Volkswagen Passat Alltrack mid-2012 as a versatile wagon that's also a competent soft-roader.VW says Alltrack is aimed at broadening the customer base of the popular Passat wagon. It's built on the all-wheel drive platform which gives it flexibility in varying road conditions.A VW spokesman said "There's no doubt there's a market for this type of vehicle. Volkswagen sees buyer interest there and just wants a bit of the action." For us, offering it with a diesel engine and DSG auto transmission gives it an edge that some rivals can't match."Alltrack made its international debut at the recent Tokyo motor show. It is based on the same AWD platform as the existing Passat 4Motion V6-engined wagon.That includes the latest Haldex AWD system now used in the Volkswagen Tiguan SUV. The Passat 4Motion is designed for on-road applications with its drive system the best way of putting 220kW to the ground.In the Alltrack, the focus is on all-road applications. It is expected that the Alltrack will use a 2.0-litre, 125kW turbo-diesel engine. Pricing will be unveiled closer to the launch date but it will be cheaper than the $57,990 of the Passat 4Motion wagon and more than the existing front-drive $45,990 2.0-litre diesel version.Volkswagen may be keen to match it up against the Subaru Outback diesel (from $40,990 as a manual only) and its own Skoda Octavia Scout diesel auto that costs from $39,990. The Volvo XC70 diesel auto is from $63,450.

This is a game changer for Subaru. The company that built its reputation on symmetrical all-wheel drive has ditched the front driveshaft and rekindled memories of simpler times.

A funky family wagon and a new coupe are shining lights to buoy Subaru Australia in 2012 after enduring a sales disaster this year. Its managing director, Nick Senior, says the effects of Japan's tsumani in March crippled production of its mainstay Impreza range, pushing back the launch of its important successor model by four months. "The sales figures are ugly," he says. "Impreza makes up 45-50 per cent of sales and that relates to about 1400 a month. We're now doing less than 1000." The effect will slash Subaru Australia's predicted 42,000 total sales this year to around 34,000, Senior says. It recorded about 40,000 in 2010. "The disaster has affected two months of production and probably another month of backlog," he says. "We expected the new Impreza on the market this week. It'll now be March. "But the good news - and there is some good news - is that Australia will be the first market in the world - even beating the home market of Japan for the first time ever - to get a new Subaru model. "I think the XV will become an important volume model and will go a longway to recoup the sales shortfall we're experiencing now." The XV - set to launch here on January 1 - is a cross-over wagon based on the Impreza.Senior says there may be some cannibalisation of Forester sales but sees them attracting different buyers.

The Subaru Advanced Tourer Concept looks for all the world like a preview of the next Liberty, just as Mazda teased the world with a Takeri concept that (itals) will (itals) morph into the next Mazda6. But the head of Mazda Australia warns against too much enthusiasm for the ATC. "I wouldn't get too hung up that it's the new Liberty. I think everyone has been thrown off the track a bit," Nick Senior tells Carsguide.  It's not just the crazy gullwing doors that make the car unsuitable for life as a Liberty, as it's also considerably smaller than the current car. Its styling could point to a change in the Liberty but Senior, evasive as always, will not be drawn. "It does have hints of future styling. But you have to be a bit careful," he says. "It's not a case of going more formal, it's more about appealing to contemporary tastest. What's we're seeing is a more 'Euro' style appearing in Japanese cars." He also warns that it is far too early for Subaru to even be hinting about the next Liberty. "The Liberty is only two years old. It's not even halfway through it's product cycle yet." But one thing the ATC definitely shares with upcoming Subaru stars is its powertrain. It picks up a 1.6-litre turbocharged version of Subaru's newest flat-four engine - used as a 2.0-litre powerplant in the BRZ sports car shared as the Toyota 86 - linked to a hybrid system. Subaru says direct fuel injection, as well as a CVT transmission, is ideal for the output of the engine and equally well matched to a single-motor hybrid system that works for low-speed electric use as well as generating power during deceleration for the car's lithium-ion battery. Sitting alongside the ATC at the show is the Subaru BRZ, with a race-prepared version also displayed ahead of its competition debut in the 2012 Japanese touring car championship. Senior says - once again - there is no decision on bringing the BRZ to Australia but defends Subaru against claims by Toyota that the joint project that also produced the two-door 86 was its work. "It is, at the end of the day, a Subaru. Toyota input . . .  was design and product planning. "The car, the drivetrain and the driving experience is all Subaru. That's one of the things that's given us a real cause for discussion and debate about this car. "Japan wants us to take the BRZ but, at the end of the day, it's up to the team in Australia."

Subaru says it is the creator of the two all-new sports cars which will be sold simultaneously as its BRZ and the Toyota 86. The smaller of the two Japanese makers, who are partners in the project, says it is responsible for all the important stuff in the BRZ-86 and Toyota only added the froth and bubble once the hard work was done.  Subaru did the engine, chassis, suspension and brakes in the project, and the 86 even has a signature Subaru exhaust note from its flat-four engine. The car definitely looks like a Toyota, and is missing the all-wheel drive that has become a Subaru signature in Australia, but company chief Nick Senior says there is no doubt about who was responsible for the car. "It is, at the end of the day, a Subaru," Senior says bluntly to Carsguide. "Toyota input, at the end of the day, was design and product planning." His claim is sure to spark a stoush as the doors are thrown open this morning at the Tokyo Motor Show and people can decide for themselves as the two production cars can be assessed side-by-side for the first time.  Toyota has already given journalists a first drive experience in its 86 - and it's a terrific car - while Subaru will follow soon with the BRZ. Senior says anyone who drives the 86 or the BRZ will know that it's a Subaru at heart.  "They have poured a lot of Subaru into this car. it is a driver's car," he says. "The car, the drivetrain and the driving experience is all Subaru. That's one of the things that's given us a real cause for discussion and debate about this car and whether it comes to Australia." Subaru is also worried that it might not be able to match Toyota's plan for a starting price in the low $30,000s, perhaps as little as $32,000. "We are studying. We won't make a decision until later in December," Senior says. But he seems to be wavering from his previous assertion that the BRZ was unlikely for Australia because two of the brand's local pillars are all-wheel drive and turbocharging for its performance cars, both missing from the BRZ. "It's a process that started several years ago. It is great, at last, that the car breaks cover," he says. "More people have seen it now ... and I think that it ticks off a lot of boxes. "What Fuji has said for some time is they would like to consider it, and take it. But the final decision is up to us."

The Advanced Tourer Concept (ATC) features a drivetrain that combines a Subaru horizontally-opposed Boxer engine with a hybrid system. Subaru says the direct-injected 1.6-litre turbo engine – which feeds to all four wheels via a CVT -- “ showcases technology that will guide the brand’s future strategy”. However that’s more to be expected on the engine side than on the electric side of the glass-roofed concept, which uses a motor at start-up and low speeds, while capturing deceleration as energy to recharge the lithium-ion battery.