Subaru Vortex Reviews

The Ford Falcon wagon is dead. The Toyota Camry wagon is gone. Some like the Holden Sportswagon still survive, and there are loyal buyers in both the small-car and luxury classes, but the rising tide of SUVs has washed most station wagons out of showrooms.The distinction between the traditional sedan-based station wagons and Australia’s new favourite family freighter has become much more blurred in the past decade or so.However, there are still some important points of difference. And it's worth looking at some of the leading contenders on the rival teams to see what's happening and what works best for you.A sedan-based wagon is usually lighter than a similarly-sized SUV. This means better fuel economy and lower costs for servicing and tyres. It also sits closer to the bitumen, with a lower centre of gravity, so it’s more agile and stable, especially when cornering or in an emergency manoeuvre.However, you don’t enjoy the high-and-mighty driving position, with an unimpeded view of the road, that SUV drivers - and women in particular - cite as one of the breed’s major attractions.Who hasn’t sat in traffic, cursing the SUV blocking your vision? Booming SUV sales indicate more and more people are taking the view that, if I can’t beat ‘em, I may as well join ‘em.It’s a myth that SUVs are more space-efficient than wagons, however most mid-sized models - including the popular Holden Captiva and Ford's Territory - can come with a couple of extra seats in the back, a feature you no longer find in conventional wagons.Kids also love an SUV’s elevated seating position because they can enjoy the scenery, whereas many wagons have low seats and high side window sills, which, for nippers, can be like sitting in a hole.  So they get unhappy. And we know what happens then...Whether you choose a sedan-based wagon or an SUV - an Americanism for Sports Utility Vehicle, incidentally - the good news is that affordable family transport, with five star safety, can now also be an enjoyable drive.Among the wagons, the Commodore VE Series ll Sportwagon, priced from $41,990 for the 190kW, 3.0-litre V6 Omega, is a standout. It looks sensational - which, it must be said, is still a rare thing in wagon world.Recent improvements to drivetrains, including E85 ethanol fuel compatibility, direct fuel inection and a six-speed automatic - plus a flash new dash with hands-free Bluetooth and audi streaming as standard - have re-written the Commodore's technical resume to 21st century standards.Around town, the 3.0-litre V6 averages 12.6L/100km in official tests.  A big serve of additional grunt in the 3.6-litre V6 SV6 Sportwagon, plus tighter suspension, sports seats and other extras, justifies its $45,790 ask, and with a city average of 13.3L/100km, you’re not savagely penalised at the pump.Despite the Commodore's appeal, Ford’s Mondeo and the little-known Skoda Superb are the kings of outright space. Behind the driver’s seat, both are as big as the MCG.  Given their size, the fuel economy from their 2.0-litre turbodiesel engines is amazing.  The 120kW, six-speed automated-manual Mondeo, from $36,840, pulls like a train and averages just 7.7L/100km in town.The Skoda is VW engineering with a Czech badge, making  luxury wagon for half the expected price. The 125kW six-speed automated-manual Superb Ambition is $43,990, with a city average of 8.3L/100km and the 118kW 1.8-litre petrol turbo Ambition, at $40,990, offers respectable performance too, averaging 9.7L/100km.In the SUV showroom, Ford’s Territory, from $39,890, is still one of the best size/price/performance packages available - especially with the inevitable big discount ahead of the facelifted model - but the all-wheel drive’s 17.6L/100km thirst in town is a major disincentive.Later this month, a 140kW 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel engine, which averages 11.6L/100km, goes under the bonnet as part of a major upgrade. It will be worth a test drive.Kia’s Sorento, a classy, competent seven-seater with a brilliant 2.2-litre, 145kW turbodiesel, starts at $39,999, with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Around town, it averages 9.5L/100 kilometres. The five-seater Subaru Outback now has enough interior acreage to keep a family happy.  This blue-chip, made-in-Japan SUV starts at $38,490 for the 123kW 2.5-litre petrol (11.5-litres per 100 kilometres), or $40,490 for a 110kW 2.0-litre turbodiesel, in manual only, with a 7.7- litres per 100 kilometre average.Load Lugger ChecklistRear camera: All cars should have one as standard, especially wagons and SUVs. The Sorento’s is a brilliant design, integrated into the rearview mirror.Curtain airbags: Essential protection against a side impact. In a seven seater, they should extend to all three rows of seats. In the Territory, they don’t.Child restraint anchors: Should be on the back of the rear seat, not in the load floor, or the roof (as in the Outback), where the tether straps get in the wayCargo bay: Check that the extended floor is flat when you fold the back seat, and that you don’t have to push the driver’s seat too far forward.Row-three seats: In SUVs most are pretty small, suitable for little kids only, or short trips. Check access, which should be easiest from the kerb side.Protection: You need some way to secure gear, because in a prang even small objects behind the back seat become lethal missiles. Options include a solid load cover, a net, a roll out mesh barrier, that clips into the roof, or an aftermarket barrier.Want to go off road ... really off road?Try these:Jeep Grand Cherokee from $45,000. The new Laredo 3.6-litre V6 petrol is great value, but the diesel, due in June, will be a better drive. Hard-core off-roading made easy, and the all-new Grand Cherokee is much improved on the bitumen too.Mitsubishi Challenger from $45,000. Lots of Pajero bits in this, with lower starting prices and a competent, if rather coarse, 2.5 turbodiesel. Seven seats from $49,390, a huge cargo bay, and a locking rear differential.Toyota Landcruiser Prado from $55,990. It’s a Toyota 4WD, so it’s pricey, but you get bulletproof reliability, unbeatable resale values and smooth, but leisurely, performance from the 3.0-litre turbodiesel.

Prompted by the impressive handling of its new Toyota-shared, rear-drive coupe, Subaru is prepared to consider the layout for other models. It is a stark departure from a company that, in Australia especially, has built its market and loyal customer following on its "ALL 4'' branding. That may come as a shock but there's no surprise in moves within Subaru to make drastic changes to its styling direction and, in other areas, consider culling some models and adding some extras. In Geneva this week for one of Europe's key motor show event, Subaru's global marketing vice president Hidetoshi Kobayashi spoke candidly about the carmaker's future. He sees the link with Toyota to develop the coupe - called FT-86 by Toyota and as yet un-named by Subaru - as one possible step towards using the rear-drive design in other Subaru products. "It has very good dynamics,'' he says of the coupe. "It's much different from driving an all-wheel drive car - it's much better.'' Asked if he could see the rear-drive concept being used in other Subaru models, he says "yes''. The coupe will go into production in Japan by both companies in March next year and is estimated to be priced around $US24,000 - about the same as a Mazda MX-5 in Australia which sells for around $45,000. The coupes from Toyota and Subaru will be identical in drivetrain specs - 2-litre boxer engine and six-speed manual transmission from Subaru - and has no plans to be launched as a turbocharged car. Toyota, which owns about 16 per cent of Subaru, has donated a hatchback to Subaru which has rebranded it as a Subaru Trevia. The small car, with a front-wheel drive layout and 1.3-litre engine, gives Subaru a new entry in Japan's popular city-car sector since the demise of its R1 and R2 city cars. "We didn't have sufficient funds to develop a small B-segment car by ourselves,'' he says. "The engines are from Daihatsu, which is part of the (Toyota) alliance.'' But it's not all take. Subaru is looking at a small SUV model to sit beneath its Forester. "We have a study to see how popular a new crossover would be,'' Kobayashi says. "It would be smaller than the Forester.'' But there are no details on the engine, however could use the small engines from the Trevia which are also used in cars like the Yaris. Mr Kobayashi says Subaru and Toyota are discussing sharing 1.2-litre and 1.3-litre engines. "We really need small engines,'' he says. "Now we have only the Generation-3 flat four and the six cylinder engine.'' Mr Kobayashi says the future of the Tribeca SUV was being discussed. The US built and US focussed SUV has underperformed the market and could be culled. "We haven't made a decision on that,' he says, "but maybe it's not a proper fit with Subaru. Maybe it's not what we should be building.''

On a tight budget, you had four options: unsafe cars, unreliable cars, really boring cars or cars that combined all three characteristics.  In the past decade, though, it's become easier to find a tidy, safe, cheap used car, for several reasons.Firstly, used cars don't hold their value like they once did. New cars have become cheaper in real terms, and sales have boomed, so there's a lot more used cars on the market.Cars are also much safer than they used to be. Government legislation and independent crash test programmes like NCAP, (which publicises the results of its tests, much to the annoyance of the industry) have forced car makers to improve safety. A 2005 car, no matter what make it is, will be safer than a 1995 car. At the minimum, you want two front airbags and anti-lock (ABS) brakes.Unless it's French or Italian, in which case a weekly dummy spit is part of the "ownership experience," most cars from the last 10 years will be pretty reliable, as long as servicing has been done by the book.We are talking about ordinary, everyday cars here, that haven't been thrashed. If you're looking at some dude's slammed, chipped Subaru WRX and the price seems too good to be true, chances are it will self-destruct before you make it home. You pay your money and you take your chances.Immaculate, low kilometre cars owned by little old ladies do exist, and they are gold. So is a complete service record, especially if it's from the dealer who sold the car new.  Let's see if we can find a few to recommend. Bottom dollar in our search is $5000.There's not much joy at this money, but the last of the Mitsubishi Magnas, from 2004-2005, are great value and reasonably plentiful. Many will be ex-renters. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because serving will have been done to schedule. The 3.5-litre V6-four speed auto ES has four airbags and ABS.Another Mitsubishi, the Lancer, is the best small car we can find at this price. Toyota Corollas are fine too, though they're more expensive.  The Lancer's as sexy as a can of baked beans and completely bulletproof. Pay about $7000-$8000 or so for a 2005 model. Find one with optional ABS and six airbags.If you've got around $10,000 to spend, you have much more choice.  In 2004, Mazda made six airbags and ABS available across its entire range, as options or standard, so any Mazda2 or Mazda3 from 2004 on will be worth checking out. Mazda does blue chip quality, and if you find a good one, with a service book, buy it. You'll pick up a 2 for less than $10,000; a 3 will be $10,000-$12,000.If you need something bigger, this sort of money will also get you into a 2004-2005 Subaru Liberty, another top car from Japan's A league. All wheel drive, excellent handling and Subaru's class leading NCAP scores are pluses. The 2.0-litre four won't rip your arms off, but it will do the job. Wagons cost a little more.You might prefer a small SUV wagon instead, so look for a 2004-2005 Subaru Forester, or Toyota RAV4, at $12,000-$15,000.  If you need a big car for a big country, the Aussie six is hard to go past.You'll pay $10,000-$13,000 for the first of the VE Commodores from 2006. The 3.6-litre V6 sounds like 1000 leaf blowers on maximum thrust, however it's durable enough. Holden got serious about safety with VE, so you get stability control as standard.  It might take a while to find the right car, but in the end, it pays to be fussy. Second hand doesn't have to mean second best.WHERE TO BUY?DealerPros: On cars under 10 years old, most states require a warranty, typically 3 months or 5000 kilometres. You also get guaranteed title. Franchised dealers (ie those who also sell new cars) usually have the best selection of used cars; the trade-ins they don't want are unloaded to non franchised dealers or auctions.Cons: Can be more expensive than a similar car bought privately. Beware of non-franchised dealers selling flood damaged or rebirthed (ie cars written off by insurance companies but then repaired) from Queensland.PrivatePros: The best way to find a bargain.Cons: You have to do plenty of legwork, and finding the right car, in a place that's close to where you live, can be a time consuming process. There's no guarantee of title or provenance, and no comebacks if it drops its guts on the way home. Buyer beware.AuctionsPros: Ex-government or fleet cars, usually properly serviced, with low kilometres. Guaranteed title. Many dealers buy cars at auction, take them to their car yard, and jack the price up by thousands of dollars. Buy it yourself, and pocket the difference.Cons: You can't test drive the car before you bid. It's also easy for an amateur to pay too much, so go to a couple before you buy to get an idea of prices and how it all works.

Both plan to show their production versions of their joint-venture coupe, variously called the Toyobaru or Subota. Toyota has been public with its FT-86 concept car for more than a year and it was displayed at last year's Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, but Subaru is planning a big splash with its version at the Geneva Motor Show. The Subaru is currently only known as the Rear-Wheel Drive Sports Car Technology Concept. The company intends to highlight its unique design work and its contribution to the driveline, including its flat-four Subaru engine. Subaru also has several other show cars for Geneva as it plans a major splash with the Impreza Concept that was first shown at the Los Angeles motor show in December, as well as the Trezia wagon that has just been introduced in Japan. But Toyota is clearly not interested in clearing the field for Subaru, even if the two companies are collaborating. It now says it has an evolution of the FT-86 ready for a reveal at Geneva. "The Toyota FT-86 II builds on the original concept and will give the clearest indication yet of the final design for Toyota's next sports car," a Toyota spokesman says. It already has a teaser picture of the FT-86 update, sitting in a garage with the door rolled up just enough to get a peek at the nose. The shot shows a much more aggressive front end, linked visually to the Lexus LF-A supercar.

... according to Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior.  "Australian motorsport is at its lowest ebb," the passionate rally fan and former co-driver said at the launch in Canberra yesterday of the new Forester line-up that includes a "performance" S-Edition."We are riding on (Mark) Webber's wave of success alone.  V8 Supercars largely disenfranchises the majority of automotive companies and ARC (Australian Rally Championship) is a pale imitation of previous years."Subaru pulled out of world and Australian rally competition in the past few seasons, citing a lack of TV coverage, promotion and audience interest."There are a lot of other car companies with a rich motorsport heritage but with no outlet to go motor racing," he said.Senior called on the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport to chair a forum to discuss developing a new racing category with more representation of the automotive industry and audience interests.He pointed out that the compact SUV category had grown bigger than the large car segment which was the sold category represented by V8 Supercar racing."We need a wider participation rate that encourages the younger audience and gets them away from playing their PlayStation games," he said.  Motorsport is a cottage industry that has a big role to play in the economy because it's labour intensive and takes at-risk kids off the streets."Senior said he would like to see a wide range of vehicles competing at signature events such as the Bathurst 1000 and had planned to launch the Forester S-Edition at this weekend's Bathurst 12-Hour race."But it would have been swamped in the only category it would have been eligible to run in," he said.  "We have no motorsport channel to display products like these.  I'd like to see 60 cars running down Conrod Straight at Bathurst like we used to in the olds days.  Now that would be a sight to see."I'd like to see a new category that is inexpensive with a broad range of vehicles, even compact SUVs.  There is a lot of diversity in cars in the market but we are not representing them in motorsport."Senior also took aim at the state of global motorsport.  "It needs a rethink," he said."There is not one Japanese, Korean or Chinese manufacturer in Formula One or WRC, yet Asia is the fastest emerging market in the world."

THE Bathurst 12-Hour race this weekend was to be the launch event for the new “performance” model in the Subaru Forester range.  However, Subaru boss Nick Senior says there was not a suitable category in the event for the turbocharged S-Edition. Instead, the S-Edition, which had its world debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney last October, was launched on the dusty roads west of Canberra this week.The new flagship “performance” model includes a range of WRX STI components and is the most powerful model in the compact SUV range in Australia.It arrives along with a host of changes to the Forester line-up including a standard reversing camera in most models, more connectivity for iPods and Bluetooth mobile phones and the first new boxer engine since 1989.PRICEThe S-Edition is listed at $50,990, which is $3500 more than the XT model, but it has 24kW more power, 27Nm more torque, leather upholstery and STI 17-inch wheels, turbocharger, intercooler and suspension.Prices for the base Forester X and diesel remain unchanged despite the upgrade in standard features while the price rise in most other models has been kept to $500.Senior also announced that Subaru and Datadot were now offering a refund of customers’ insurance excess if their vehicle is stolen and not recovered in 45 days during the first year.TECHNOLOGYThe S-Edition 2.5 litre boxer engine generates 193kW of power, 347Nm of torque and sprints to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds compared with the XT’s 7.9.  It comes with a paddleshift five-speed automatic gearbox and Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) all-wheel drive.The base model petrol Foresters get the new FB naturally aspirated horizontally opposed boxer engine, replacing the EJ unit introduced in 1989.  The longer stroke and smaller bore lift low and mid-range torque, decrease emissions and retain the same economy of 9.3 litres per 100km.It also gets a maintenance-free chain drive system replacing the belts.  Senior says the engine will be introduced throughout the Subaru range over the next few years.The new FB engine also required changes to the four-speed automatic transmission in the Forester X and XS, while the S-Edition comes in five-speed auto only. It’s a specially tuned version of the paddleshift transmission from the automatic WRX STI.S-Edition gets the STI suspension with softer spring and damping rates and stiffer bushes, while the rest of the range just get the stiffer bushes to reduce pitch and roll.DESIGNOnly Subaru anoraks will notice the exterior changes.  The grille is slightly different, the indicators are now in the door mirrors in all but the X and diesel models and there are two new shades of blue paint available.Forester X, XS and XT have black-finish roof rails, while S-Edition gets silver.  Inside, the dashboard has a darker finish, a soft feel coating for the instrument panels and new colours.  S-Edition gets some extra badging, black and blue alcantara seats, drilled alloy pedals, luminescent instruments and STI wheels.SAFETYAll Subarus have DataDot security and five-star crashworthiness ratings.  Now the Forester adds a reversing camera in all but the X and diesel models, regardless of the audio system.  However, parking sensors are an optional extra.DRIVINGThe new S-Edition is certainly quicker and more nimble, but it’s not really a performance car.  Acceleration is prompt without being electrifying and it’s accompanied by a quite sombre exhaust note.And don’t be put off by the STI suspension componentry because this is not a bone-shaking, kidney-punching ride like the WRX STI.Ride and handling are just about ideal for a dual-purpose vehicle with enough compliance to sort out the lumps and bumps, while keeping the car flat through corners.  It is a great improvement on the standard suspension.  Models with the new FB engine were not available for test on launch.VERDICTWhile the S-Edition is no STI, you can feel the extra oomph and the ride and handling are greatly improved.This should appeal to a slightly younger audience, although the biggest barrier will be the price tag.  Other changes should ensure the range remains at the top of the compact SUV category.PRICESForester X manual             $30,990Forester X auto               $32,990Forester XS manual            $34,990Forester XS auto              $36,990Forester XS Premium manual    $38,490. With SatNav option: $40,490Forester XS Premium auto      $40,490. With SatNav option: $42,490Forester 2.0D manual          $35,990Forester 2.0D Premium manual  $40,490. With SatNav option: $42,490Forester XT manual            $39,990Forester XT auto              $41,990Forester XT Premium manual    $45,490Forester XT Premium auto      $47,490Forester S-Edition auto       $50,990

CRAIG Lowndes leads a surprising Audi attack on the Bathurst 12-Hour race over easter with a pair of race-prepared R8 coupes. Rule changes for the endurance event at Mount Panorama have opened the event to sports cars and Audi has a pair of R8s coming from Europe - V8 Supercar racer Warren Luff will share with Lowndes - to take on the Porsche 911s that are expected to fight for victory.THE struggling Australian Rally Championship is headed for a revamp and improvement to its relevance under new chairman Scott Pedder. The retired driver intends to make the series more appealing to carmakers from 2011 and move it away from the reliance on the Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evo contenders that dominate entry lists.THE full-scale renewal of the V8 Supercars field will take place in 2013 when the category's Car of the Future will become compulsory. There was talked of an optional phase-in for the change in 2012 but V8 Supercars bosses now say the transitional year has been dumped in favour of a single switch at the start of 2013.CITROEN stalwart Dani Sordo, who was superstar Sebastian Loeb's sidekick for five years at Citroen, is moving to Mini for this year's World Rally Championship. Mini is only planning a limited program against Ford and Citroen before a full-scale season in 2011, but has signed Sordo the Spaniard as lead driver alongside Chris Meeke of the UK.FORMER champion Chad Reed made a tentative return to AMA Supercross racing in the USA last weekend riding a Honda for his own team for the first time. The Aussie was fifth at Anaheim Stadium in Los Angeles as Ryan Villopoto won on the Monster Kawasaki he used to ride.

... I don’t think we’d get too many arguments. Just take a quick look at their 2010 Legacy and Outback models and you’ll see what we mean. And we don’t think you’d disagree too much if we dared to say that the company hadn’t actually advanced its engineering capabilities that much either over the last two decades. Okay, they switched from twin-turbos to a single turbo setup on the Legacy back in the early part of the century and added their first 6-speed manual gearbox to the Impreza, but that’s about it.Well, all that’s about to change. With an all-new design direction, a brand new boxer engine range and that controversial tie-up with Toyota, expect to see some radical changes in the Subaru camp over the next 2-3 years. The first evidence of this rebirth comes in the form of their “Confidence-in-motion” concept unveiled at the recent L.A. auto show. That sharp looking design study might have been the base for its next Impreza, but those aggressive lines and proportions are what we can actually expect to see across the entire lineup. Just check out our two exclusive sketches, which reveal how one artist sees the Subaru version of the FT-86 due for 2012, as well as the Legacy Hybrid slated to debut in 2013. Ignoring the emotional phrasing (confidence-in-motion!?), we think that these two designs – especially that new signature grille and headlight combination - are right on the money and help transport Subaru out of the ‘dull and boring’ basket, and straight into the ‘time-to-pay-attention-to’ category.And that’s just where company’s rejuvenation starts. For those versed with Subaru’s well-known EJ-type boxer engine, which has powered nearly every model since 1989 (albeit in slightly revised variants), you will no doubt have heard about the brand new FB-type boxer engine, officially launched on September 23. That means that this engine is Subaru’s first all-new horizontally-opposed powerplant in 21 years!  The 1995 cc FB20’s claim to fame is its longer stroke, which means that it’s able to achieve maximum torque at lower revs, in addition to beefier power delivery and 10 percent better fuel consumption.The first model to employ the new FB20 engine will be the Subaru rendition of the ‘FT-86,’ co-developed with Toyota and due in 2012. Using that engine as a base, engineers will revise the head unit “by adding port injection” says one insider, to create a Toyota-like D4-S engine with around 200hp. And mated to a 6-speed manual, expect a 0-60mph sprint time of 7.5 secs.The third piece of Subaru’s next generation jigsaw puzzle is the addition of a hybrid to their Legacy lineup. After bolting on a special Subaru-tweaked Toyota THS II hybrid unit (with Atkinson Cycle technology) to a new FB25 engine, our source tells us that company engineers will then turbocharge it for better performance and fuel economy. By utilizing the most efficient characteristics of the boxer engine – its low center of gravity symmetrical layout – engineers will position lithium ion batteries on either side of the propeller shaft, thus extracting the most out of the Toyota-based hybrid system. Oh, and you can also expect to see all Legacy models employing CVTs in the near future, while automatic gearboxes will be phased out.So with some sleek new lines, a new coupe, a new engine range and a new hybrid, Subaru is reinventing itself. And not a moment too soon.

Of the 66 vehicles on the list, 37 are available in Australia - including all the Subaru models. The IIHS list is used by astute American buyers in their new car selection process. It is compiled by rating vehicles on their occupant protection in front, side, rollover and rear crashes. All must also be fitted with electronic stability control as standard equipment. The IIHS says that in 2010, Hyundai/Kia and Volkswagen/Audi both tied as manufacturers with the highest number of Top Safety Picks with a total of nine winning models. Ford/Lincoln, General Motors and Toyota/Lexus/Scion all took second place each with a total of eight Top Safety Picks. Subaru has managed to retain its title as the only automaker to have a Top Safety Pick designation for every vehicle it sells. The Volkswagen Touareg is the only large SUV to take home a Top Safety Pick for 2011, and the US-only 2011 Ford Explorer managed to make its way onto the Top Safety Pick list for the first time in the vehicle's history, the IIHS reports. Last year the Institute toughened criteria by adding a requirement that all qualifiers must earn a good rating for performance in a roof strength test to assess protection in a rollover crash. The move instantly narrowed the initial field of 2010 winners. At the beginning of the 2010 model year, only 27 vehicles qualified for the award, but the number grew to 58 as vehicle makers reworked existing designs and introduced new models. "In just a year, automakers have more than doubled the number of vehicles that meet the criteria for Top Safety Pick," says IIHS president Adrian Lund. "That gives consumers shopping for a safer new car or SUV - from economy to luxury models - plenty of choices to consider in most dealer showrooms. In fact, every major automaker has at least one winning model this year." The Chevrolet Cruze - sister to the Holden Cruze but with different specifications - has 10 standard airbags, including ones for the knees, to outperform the government's minimum roof strength requirements. The IIHS notes that safety equipment is increasingly standard. Ninety-two per cent of 2011 model cars, 94 per cent of SUVs, and 56 per cent of utes on the US market have standard head and side airbags. Electronic stability control is standard on 92 per cent of cars, 100 per cent of SUVs and 72 per cent of utes. ALL 66 WINNERS (Australian cars marketed with an asterisk) LARGE CARS: Buick LaCrosse Buick Regal *BMW 5-Series (except 4-wheel drive and V8) Cadillac CTS sedan Ford Taurus Hyundai Genesis Infinite M37/M56 (except M56x 4-wheel drive) Lincoln MKS *Mercedes E-Class coupe *Mercedes E-Class sedan Toyota Avalon *Volvo S80 MIDSIZE CARS: *Audi A3 *Audi A4 sedan Chevrolet Malibu Chrysler 200 4-door Dodge Avenger Ford Fusion *Hyundai Sonata *Kia Optima Lincoln MKZ *Mercedes C-Class *Subaru Legacy (Liberty) *Subaru Outback *Volkswagen Jetta sedan Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen *Volvo C30 SMALL CARS: *Chevrolet Cruze *Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control *Kia Forte (Cerato) sedan *Kia Soul *Mitsubishi Lancer (except all-wheel drive) Nissan Cube Scion tC Scion xB *Subaru Impreza sedan/hatch (except WRX) *Volkswagen Golf 5-door *Volkswagen GTI 5-door MINICAR: *Ford Fiesta sedan/hatch built after July 2010 MINIVAN: Toyota Sienna LARGE SUV: *Volkswagen Touareg MIDSIZE SUV: *Audi Q5 Cadillac SRX Chevrolet Equinox *Dodge Journey Ford Explorer Ford Flex GMC Terrain *Hyundai Santa Fe *Jeep Grand Cherokee *Kia Sorento built after March 2010 *Lexus RX Lincoln MKT Mercedes GLK *Subaru Tribeca *Toyota Highlander Toyota Venza *Volvo XC60 *Volvo XC90 SMALL SUVs: Honda Element *Hyundai Tucson Jeep Patriot with optional side torso airbags *Kia Sportage *Subaru Forester *Volkswagen Tiguan

While Toyota's future FT-86 coupe has been grabbing the news - and motor show stands - around the world since last year, the Subaru version has been kept away from cameras.  Now it's in the open. The Subaru coupe will share the drivetrain with the Toyota but go its own way with body styling and cabin flair. Toyota says its two-door sports car - the first since the demise of the MR2 in 2007 - will go on sale in 2012 but the Subaru may not arrive until 2013.  Both cars use a rear-drive platform and front-mounted Subaru boxer engine driving a six-speed manual transmission. An all-wheel drive model was proposed by Subaru but has been dropped because of weight and cost issues.  Though a 2-litre third-generation normally-aspirated (NA) Subaru engine has been fingered as the likely engine, it may be replaced with the punchier 2.5-litre unit. As a sports car, the 2-litre's 109kW/196Nm output is down on some rivals. It compares, for example, with other NA 2-litre cars such as the Honda Civic Type-R's 148kW/193Nm and Mazda MX-5's 118kW/188Nm. The design and price of the Toyota-Subaru coupes may also put it up against turbocharged rivals including the Mini Cooper S, Peugeot RCZ, Citroen DS3, Renault Megane Sport and Volkswagen Polo and Golf GTIs. News from Japan indicates Toyota - which owns 16.7 per cent of Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries - has taken control of engine development and is looking at about 147kW (200hp) without any charging.  Subaru, on the other hand, may option its coupe with the WRX 2.5-litre turbo for 195kW/343Nm or the STI's enticing 221kW/407Nm. That may be enough sting to overcome weight issues and allow the coupe through as an all-wheel drive, pleasing Subaru Australia that has invested heavily in the "All4", exclusive all-wheel drive model range.  Impressive though an AWD coupe would be, it contrast initial plans. In April 2008, Toyota (TMC) and Subaru (FHI) announced the proposed jointly-developed coupe in a statement that says they would "jointly develop a compact rear-wheel-drive sports car that will be marketed by both TMC and FHI." "The compact rear-wheel sports car to be jointly developed by TMC and FHI is envisioned to offer a new `fun to drive' experience based on an all-new vehicle platform powered by an FHI core-technology horizontally-opposed engine. "Production is to take place at a new plant to be built at FHI's Gunma Manufacturing Division in Japan's Gunma Prefecture. TMC will consign production to FHI."