Subaru Vortex Reviews

For performance enthusiasts it is like winning the lottery twice.

A softer 2-litre diesel engine is available now but has less power and torque than the current 105kW oil-burner that arrived for the Mazda 6 last year.

A hectic 2007 proved to be lucrative for the car industry with a plethora of new cars launched and more than a million sales throughout the year. And there's no indication that it will be slowing down in 2008.AUDI The new A4, to rival the 3 Series and C-Class is expected here about April, while July will see the hot sports wagon, the RS6 Avant and the A3 Cabrio. Extra A5 variants will follow. BMWBMW has a busy year ahead, starting with the 320d and 335i touring this month. The 1 Series Coupe will go on sale around April, followed by the convertible in May-June. But its big one for the year will be the new X6 Sports Activity Coupe, arriving between July and September. It comes with three engine variants, all twin-turbo, an in-line six, a 3.0-litre diesel and a 300kW 4.4-litre V8. Pricing is expected to start at just under $100,000. And the X5 scores a new engine in February, with the first variable twin turbo diesel offered in the range. CHRYSLER/JEEPJanuary will be a busy month for Chrysler, with the Sebring Cabrio and Grand Voyager people mover both arriving in Australia. The Jeep Cherokee will also get a total makeover. CITROENBased on the C4 Picasso, but bigger and better equipped, Citroen will introduce the Berlingo van between July and September, with a mainly diesel range. This will make room in the line-up for the new Nemo small van mid-year. The C5 will also get a new V6 diesel engine.FERRARIDeliveries of the exquisite F430 Scuderia, priced at about $550,000, will start mid year. Only about 40 will come to Australia and New Zealand. FIAT The reincarnation of the 1960s Bambino will arrive in March, but Fiat has already sold the first four months' supply. The new Fiat 500 will have three engine choices, a 1.2-litre petrol, a 75kW 1.4-litre petrol engine or a 56kW 1.3-litre turbo diesel. Pricing is expected to start from $22,000. The new Ritmo will join the Fiat 500 in March with pricing from $30,000. FORD One of the biggest launches for the year will be the new Falcon. Ford will release details of the new model in February and it's expected to be followed by an unveiling at the Melbourne motor show in the same month, with the official launch around May.FPV FPV will start the year with a new model, the hot turbo Territory, known as the F6 X model. It's the first non-Falcon model from FPV, with 270kW and 550Nm. The FPV Falcon range will also arrive this year. HOLDEN/CADILLACWith Ford's big year planned, you can't expect Holden to keep quiet. But so far, Holden has only announced it is expecting the VE Sportwagon, due in the first half of the year. GM-Holden is also introducing Cadillac with the first model due late in 2008. HONDA Honda will start the year with the new Accord model, due to be launched in February. The small Jazz is also getting an update after the middle of the year. Details on the new generation will be released closer to the launch. The Accord Euro is also expected to arrive later this year. HYUNDAI No big launches just yet, although an upgraded Sonata is expected mid year. JAGUARJaguar's major release for the year will be the new XF in June, with pricing expected to start from $105,000. It will be available in a V6 diesel, as well as a V6 and V8 petrol. KIAPreviewed at the Sydney motor show last year, Kia will launch its new seven-seater Rondo crossover in February. It is expected to start from as low as the mid-$20,000 mark. LEXUSNew for Lexus will be the LX570 around April or May, followed by the IS-F towards the end of the year. Details still to come. MAZDAThe second-generation Mazda6 will go on sale at the end of February with pricing from less than $30,000. It will be powered by a 2.5-litre, four cylinder engine, with 125kW and 226Nm.MERCEDES-BENZThe first arrival for Mercedes-Benz is expected to be the C 63 AMG in mid March. It will be followed by the S 320CDI, priced at $189,874 and the C-Class wagon, which will carry a $3000 premium over the sedan, coming in just under $60,000. MINIAnother new version of a 1960s cult car is also headed our way, with the Mini Clubman launched in February. The modern successor of the Morris Mini Traveller, the Austin Mini Countryman and the Mini Clubman Estate won't get into showrooms until March or April. Pricing will start in the mid-$30,000 area. MITSUBISHIMitsubishi will release two turbocharged Lancers this year. The top-level Lancer Evo X GSR will be here in April and sell for about $58,000. The 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo engine pumps out 200kW and 422Nm. Joining it will be the detuned version in the Ralliart all-wheel drive, at about $40,000. NISSANNissan's first addition for the year will be the all-wheel-drive wagon, the Dualis. Starting at $28,990 and stretching to $35,990, it's powered by a 102kW, 2.0-litre engine. PEUGEOTThe big launch for Peugeot will be the 308 replacing the 307 range, which will start with the 308 hatch in February in both petrol and diesel guises. The touring will follow in June or July, with the 308cc model a prospect for late 2008 or early 2009. PROTONProton has announced the Persona, based on the Gen2 hatch platform, will make its debut at the Melbourne motor show in late February, going on sale in March. It will be priced around the mid-teens. The Gen2 will also get engine updates and minor styling changes. RENAULTThe all-new Laguna will go on sale mid-year with a 2.0-litre diesel engine. SAABJune sees the arrival of the Turbo X AWD. SSANGYONGThe South Korean company will go completely diesel in 2008, with no more petrol engines on offer in Australia. SMARTThe new Fortwo arrives in Australia in February. The one-model brand will get both the 52kW and 62kW models, in hatch and cabrio, being bigger than the current models. SUBARUThe star WRX STi comes in February with a 2.5-litre turbocharged engine, although pricing is still to come. The third generation Forester arrives in March. SUZUKIFebruary's proving to be a busy month, with Suzuki also launching its Grand Vitara diesel. TOYOTAAfter a big year in 2007, Toyota is expecting a quiet year, with only the TRD Hilux due to be launched in April-June. VOLKSWAGENVolkswagen will kick off the year with the SUV, the Touareg R50, to be released in April. It's powered by a 258kW V10 TDI engine. The Tiguan also arrives about October.  VOLVOThe recently launched XC70 arrives in showrooms this month, joined by the C30 diesel also in January. It's priced at $43,950. A base model C30 will also enter the line-up, at $34,450. A 3.0-litre six-cylinder engined V70 will arrive in March. 

The constant all-wheel-drive is a wider and taller vehicle with more cabin space.It makes its Australian debut at the Melbourne Motor Show in February and goes on sale in March.Australia is the biggest market for the Forester after Japan, which helped secure a quick on-sale date, according to Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior.Australian specifications and pricing details have yet to be announced.The 2008 Forester, right, will debut in Europe with the world's first diesel boxer engine, a 2-litre with about 110kW and 320Nm of torque.Subaru Australia corporate affairs manager David Rowley said they had not ruled out the diesel engine for the Forester or other vehicles.“We still don't have any firm time frame for diesel, but we'd definitely be interested in evaluating the engine in various models for our market,” he said.Currently, the Forester comes with a 2.5-litre petrol engine, with a five-speed manual or four-speed sequential automatic in X, XS and XT trim levels.The new Forester's 85mm taller roof line makes the vehicle look a little gawky, but its 45mm wider stance helps balance that impression.The vehicle is also 75mm longer and, together with the 90mm longer wheelbase, should improve legroom.Inside, it appears to get the same stylish dashboard and centre stack treatment as the new Impreza.Subaru Australia also launches the Impreza STi hatch in February.It loses the big wing, gold rims and over-sized bonnet scoop but gains a menacing body shell with pumped-out front and rear guards.The six-speed-manual Subaru has gone from 206kW to 221kW from the 2.5-litre turbo boxer with 407Nm of torque and goes 0-100km/h in 5.2sec.

After building its brand around all-wheel drive and flat-four boxer four and six-cylinder engines, Subaru is facing a future shock.Though confident of not selling its soul, Subaru Australia is preparing for newer technologies that may take it down a different road, away from its unique selling point.Hybrid and pure electric power, even the possibility of an entry hatch such as the 660cc R2; which may be powered by a conventional in-line four-cylinder; which are on the Subaru horizon.“In five, 10 or 15 years we will have to decide our future strategy,” Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior says.Senior admits the light-car segment is one area Subaru will have to address because it has no entry B-segment car in its local line-up.“A B-segment car could be well-received,” he says. “However, it may not have a boxer engine or all-wheel drive, then we have to decide whether to move away from our strategy.”He says the current-model R2 could be too small for Australia, but that could change in 10 years.“Particularly if fuel prices continue to climb,” he says. “Our entry point is $24,490 (for Impreza) so we don't get young buyers and it's something we'd like to address.”“It would be good to have a light car so people could step up through the brand.”Fleet sales and its fleet buyback program had helped stimulate second-hand sales for dealers of low-mileage Subarus.“People tend to hang on to their Subarus, pass them down through the family or sell them to friends,” Senior says. “So the fleet buyback deals has been good for dealers.”He denies that fleet sales had damaged the brand.“We did the buyback deal to control the cars and protect the brand,” Senior says.Big rental agency Europcar bought 700 Foresters, 500 Outbacks and 300 Imprezas under a buy-back deal with Subaru Australia. Since then dealers have had a controlled supply of low-mileage used cars that are on-sold every six to 12 months.  

Even better, if you find yourself attempting to avoid a crash, try to be in the new Subaru Impreza.Subaru, which has steadily climbed the desirability scale thanks to its blend of quality and dynamics and safety-mindedness, has really rewritten the rules with the recently-released Impreza hatchback.It manages to combine top-class safety credentials — an enviable crash-test score, along with engineering to keep it out of an accident in the first place — with a fresh new look.Independent tests have given the Impreza a five-star rating for occupant safety and four stars for pedestrian safety, the top level in both cases. It is the first car tested in Australia to score the maximum stars, and only the second car worldwide, following the $102,000 Citroen C6. Quite an accolade for a car priced from $24,490, so expect it to be mighty popular.While the crash stars indicate, in theory, your chances when things come to the crunch, the Impreza is well equipped to improve the driver's chances of avoiding a crash: all versions come with all-wheel-drive, stability control and anti-lock brakes. And there are dual front, side and curtain airbagsThere's no doubting the new model's efficiency: it is shorter, but roomier; lighter, but stronger.Despite all its wholesome qualities, the Impreza is not at all stodgy to drive. The 2.0 litre, four-cylinder engine which is found in all the non-turbocharged variants is a smooth, capable performer.It's also less thirsty than its predecessors, but just as well, since costlier premium unleaded is now required.The steering, handily, is adjustable up-down and in-out, and we're told the new model's doors open wider for easy access, but, strangely, I found getting in and out of the driver's seat of the Impreza slightly awkward, with nothing like the easy access found in the similar-sized VW Golf and Hyundai i30 I drove about the same time.Then there's the bulky key with its tiny buttons for lock and unlock. You could go blind trying to read the markings on them.For the first time, there is no sedan version. Not until next year, that is.Breaking from Subaru tradition, the windows have normal frames like, well, normal cars. But some things don't change: still all-wheel-drive, still a flat-four “boxer” engine.Petrolheads have been whingeing for years about Impreza after Impreza looking oddball. Now that Subaru has produced one with mainstream styling — think a whiff of Corolla, a dash of Peugeot, a bit of Daewoo — there are enthusiasts moaning about how something more distinctive would be better.Some people are never happy.

Did we also mention sideways, scary and sensational? Probably not but, then again, the Corolla we are talking about is nothing like the $20,990 showroom success you will find at your local Toyota dealer.This one has true supercar performance, speed on any surface and the ability to tame the toughest roads and rivals in the Australian Rally Championship. It also costs about $150,000.The hand-built Corolla has carried Simon and Sue Evans to an unbeaten string of wins this year on their way to back-to-back successes in the championship. It has also delivered a second straight manufacturers' title to Toyota and its rally boss, Neal Bates.Officially, the car is called a Group N(P) Corolla. Unofficially, it is a Celica GT-4 stuffed inside a Corolla body.To turn the Corolla from a sensible small car into an outrageous rally champion, Bates and his Canberra-based engineering team returned to the days when Toyota ruled rallying and snitched the go-fast stuff from the Celica, its turbocharged 2.0-litre engine and the basics of its all-wheel-drive system and five-speed manual gearbox.It took a lot more tweaking, with local developments in the electronics, driveline, brakes and suspension.But the Bates team came up with a car to go head to head with the Subaru Impreza WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer in rallying.There is only one way to really see how it goes, and that is to strap yourself into the TRD Toyota team's spare car; identical to the Evans Corolla; for an inside look at the recent NGK Rally of Melbourne.This is the final round of the 2007 title series and is run on high-speed gravel roads in the Yarra Valley.There are two days of competition, with 48 crack crews. There are the two serious TRD Corollas driven by Evans and Bates, two Ford Fiesta entries for Michael Guest and Darren Windus, and a raft of privateers led by Spencer Lowndes in a Lancer.The Corolla experience begins two days before the Friday start at Docklands with a quick sprint at a TRD test day. The Corolla fits perfectly, as you'd expect from a custom-made carbon fibre bucket seat, fully adjustable steering wheel and five-point safety belts.The turbo engine lights up from very low revs, the all-wheel-drive system fires the car between corners, and it rides over rough roads as if they are freeway-smooth bitumen.Evans is wickedly quick. Bates is fast in an all-new Corolla; with new body, non-turbo engine and special gearbox. He is developing it for a full-on attack next year. When the rally begins on the special stage near Yarra Glen, the fast guys are gone and we; myself and co-driver Anne Gigney; are back in the pack.It feels as if the Corolla is courting disaster, sliding sideways at more than 130km/h and dancing through all sorts of corners and firing up-and-down on narrow forest tracks.But the TRD terror is never threatened. Evans is going at least two seconds quicker for every kilometre, so the guest car is barely working. Just like driving the Corolla ARC.It is clearly a Corolla but, just like a V8 Supercar, the mechanical changes mean it is only the body that stays the same. Everything else is upgraded and more responsive and far, far more enjoyable.The Corolla is supercar-quick in a straight line, has mighty brakes and grippy Michelin tyres, and turns as if it is driving on bitumen. Until you tickle the throttle and set it sideways. Shortcomings? It is obviously noisy beyond anything acceptable in a regular road car. It is hot and dusty, with no airconditioning, no luggage space and seats that grip great but are not very comfortable.It is also thirsty. It sucks $3-a-litre Elf racing fuel like a hungry V8.But the Corolla ARC proves what can be done with smart minds, focused thinking and a TRD Toyota parts bin that makes a mundane car into something very special.  

The market asked for a bigger engine, so it has now a gutsier 3.6-litre rather than the previous 3.0-litre. Customers asked for a better looking nose and tail – they’ve got it. They’ve even got a few things they didn’t ask for, like a bit of extra equipment and a price freeze.The changes had an effect even before the mid-sized SUV went on sale this week.When the updated Tribeca appeared at Sydney Motor Show in October, there was a marked spike in the level of interest. That’s bright news for Subaru, which hoped to sell 150 Tribecas per month, but has notched up about 130 per month on average.However it’s been a success in terms of conquest sales, with close to 80 per cent of buyers trading in from other brands.But some of those might have been former Subaru owners forced to look elsewhere when they wanted to move to a SUV.“Even our most loyal customers had no choice but to walk away if they needed the features a SUV offers, like more than five seats,” spokesman David Rowley says.The first Tribeca didn’t exactly bring them back in droves, but the new one has a better chance.For a start, it’s lost the controversial nose and tail in favour of a much more cohesive look, with a streamlined grille, restyled bumpers, bonnet and light clusters and larger three-quarter windows that update the profile – and improve visibility.Access to the third row in seven-seat versions has been made easier, but otherwise there’s little change in the cabin. And really, nothing was needed; with the flowing dash, storage nooks everywhere and quality materials making the previous model a pleasant place to be – until you actually wanted to go somewhere.But that’s been solved with the new engine –Subaru’s biggest ever – and its better outputs.A new 3.6-litre develops five per cent more power, with its 190kW peaking 600rpm earlier when the needle hits 6000. And dual valve timing helps improve the torque by a robust 18 per cent, now hitting 350Nm at 4000rpm. That’s put to the constant all-wheel drive by a new five-speed automatic with sports and simulated manual modes.Despite being larger, the engine is lighter, and fuel consumption is posted at 11.6 litres/100km – an improvement of 0.8L over the outgoing model. But all those figures are calculated on 95RON petrol, so if you use 91RON Subaru admits there will be a loss of between three and six per cent in low-speed torque and probably about two per cent in fuel efficiency.The prices are unchanged from the previous model, which should help the new one towards the 200 per month sales mark tipped for it, with only two per cent expected to be the $53,990 five-seat base model and eight per cent for the $2000 seven-seat option.At that level you get a great fit-out with all the usual suspects plus MP3-compatible audio, dual zone climate control air-conditioning, eight-way power adjusted front seats, touches of leather on the steering wheel and gear shifter, touch-screen sat nav and reversing camera.And the standard safety list is five-star comprehensive, including dual front, side and curtain airbags, rollover sensor, xenon headlights, traction control and ant-skid brakes with assisting systems for hard and panic braking.But it’s the Premium trim Subaru thinks buyers will largely head for, tipping 25 per cent for the $58,990 five seat but the largest portion — 65 per cent — handing over the extra cash for the seven-seater. This spec gets memory on the driver’s seat and heating to both front ones, leather upholstery, electric sunroof, roof rails and rear seat DVD with wireless headphones and remote control.ON THE ROADThe changes to the Tribeca are noticeable from the turn of the key. Where the outgoing model was lacklustre to the point of insolence, the new arrival is full of zip and eager to please.Tap your foot and the engine responds happily, press it harder and you even get an enjoyable burble from under the bonnet. Launch feel is great and even when we had the car loaded up with luggage there was no sign of it faltering on slopes.Nor did the new transmission hunt up and down through the gears in hilly country. It stepped down smoothly to an appropriate slot and stayed there until the terrain changed. Flicking it over to the Sport mode allowed the shift level to rise from 5000rpm to about 6500rpm, giving an even better reaction, while the simulated manual mode was swift fun.The previous Tribeca was at least reasonably well-composed on the road – although that may have been because it didn’t have enough grunt to get into trouble – but this one’s revised suspension has even improved that area.It always feels confident, insulates the cabin from bumps and can be surprisingly agile in cornering.Even hauling has been improved with the 2000kg braked capacity download increasing from 100kg to 160kg.Only the steering really lets it down with a lack of feedback that leaves you feeling no connection at all to what’s happening on the road. Minor issues are the lack of bolstering on the seats, and – while there are generous doorbins and what seems to be a crowd of cupholders – the glovebox is next to useless.But overall, this is now an enjoyable drive, rather than a tedious one. Subaru finally has the SUV it needed.

The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTRC) yesterday revealed motor theft would become harder with the use of personal scanning, impact-resistant windows and automatic deadlocking doors.The council previewed a 3D virtual car featuring security innovations to be introduced in five to 10 years. Features of the future included an improved identification system, a satellite global-tracking system and a centrally monitored two-way communications system, including an interior camera and panic alert.Motor theft across Australia is down to a record low of 62,000 vehicles a year. NSW theft rates have dropped from 47,338 five years ago to 26,891 this year.NMVTRC executive director Ray Carroll yesterday called on motorists to be more aware of security features when buying a new car and urged car manufacturers to lift their game.The NMVTRC also unveiled the nine most secure cars in Australia.Among these were the Volkswagen Polo, Citroen C2, the Subaru Liberty 2.0R and the Mitsubishi 380.Do you think all new cars should have smart access system as a standard feature?

The meanest Impreza of them all has moved upmarket away from the boy racers who have so passionately adapted the super-fast small cars.Its price alone will scare a lot of them away, with Subaru stating two STI models will cost somewhere between $60,000 and $70,000 when the cars arrive in Australia next February; a significant increase over the previous model's $56,990.The STI is a more exclusive model than the last, with changes that can be picked at first sight. Subaru has given the STI its own unique and menacing body shell; complete with pumped-out front and rear guards.The panel changes are significant, with only the bonnet, front doors, roof and rear hatch in common with the standard WRX.Its wide wheel arches not only look cool, but allow for the STI's front and rear track (the distance across the axles) to be increased by 40mm and 45mm respectively, which gives the car a greater footprint than the just-introduced WRX.While the STI's wheelbase is the same as the new WRX, it is longer than the previous model.The STI is available only as a hatch and Subaru insists there will be no STI sedan.Subaru actually designed the new STI before the other Impreza models. It wanted to build a car that could win the World Rally Championship after years of poor results.The engineers decided a hatchback was the best possible solution as it offered a longer wheelbase with less front and rear overhang.Of course, the WRC car will have a very different mechanical make-up, but the base and body are the same as the STI road car.While some STI fans will mourn the passing of the sedan, there are other advantages for switching to a hatch apart from the handling benefits, including increased headroom for the rear passengers.There are also more improvements under the bonnet, including a power total that rises from 206kW to 221kW at 6000 revs and raising torque from 392Nm to 407Nm at 4000 revs.The engine is still a 2.5-litre turbocharged boxer, but several changes have been made to boost its responsiveness as well as peak power and torque.The last STI engine had variable control for the inlet valves but not for the exhaust valve. Now they are both variable, making the engine meatier. There is also a bigger intercooler, redesigned turbo, a more free-flowing exhaust for less back pressure and the repositioning of the catalyst closer to the engine.The same 2.5-litre engine is used for all Subaru STI export countries, while the domestic market uses a higher-revving 2.0-litre engine with a hint more power and torque.Tests of the European STI have found the car is able to dash from 0-100km/h in just 5.2 seconds, but Subaru Australia said it would wait to carry out its own test, using its own method, before announcing the official sprint times for the local model.The new STI comes standard with a six-speed manual and there is no automatic option.The constant all-wheel-drive system uses a helical front limited-slip differential (LSD), a Torsen rear LSD and a mechanical centre differential paired to an electronic LSD.Subaru has introduced a more complex version of its centre differential control system. It now features different differential control configurations as well as the ability for the driver to manually set the front/rear drive split between 50/50 front/rear and 41/59 front/rear.STI drivers can also use the SI-Drive system which controls the engine mapping and alters the throttle character, allowing a choice between more aggressive and more conservative modes. Will consumers maintain their loyalty to the latest Subaru 'hatch' range?