Subaru Vortex Reviews

Subaru has updated its mid-size Levorg wagon in Japan with new features, new tech, slightly revised styling and newly available models. To be released in Japan in June 2019, the updated Levorg now includes the STI Sport Black Selection and Advantage Line specs, with the former based on the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, and the latter on the smaller 1.6-litre turbo. The updates to the Levorg won’t land immediately in Australia however, with Subaru Australia spokesperson Dave Rowley telling CarsGuide that there are “no changes planned imminently for our Levorg line-up.”Based on the STI Sport that’s currently sold in Australia, the STI Sport Black Selection adds black mirror caps and new two-tone 18-inch alloy wheels for a sportier look.The inside now has new 'Ultrasuede'/leather Recaro front seats, with the same upholstery mix spreading to the rear seat. The lower centre console now has soft-touch materials, and new stitching has been added all over the cabin for a more upmarket look.The Levorg Advantage Line is based on the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine and adds new black 18-inch alloy wheels, as well as black mirror caps, door handles and exterior badging. The interior of the Advantage Line adds black and blue Ultrasuede/leather seating, as well as blue interior stitching and a blue dashboard inlay.Subaru has also given the Levorg the brand’s latest 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as the brand’s latest SmartLink multimedia software. The Levorg’s auto high beam now operates from as low as 30km/h, instead of the former 40km/h threshold.

Australia’s declining new-vehicle market continued its slide in April, with Kia the only top-10 brand to record positive sales growth for the month, according to the latest VFACTS sales data.

The bumpy start to 2019 has continued for the Australian new-car market, but when the music stopped, one brand had been bounced right out of the top 10.

The all-new Subaru Outback has been unveiled in New York, with the sixth-generation model offering a bigger engine and better technology.

Subaru will launch a new BRZ - one on a rear-drive platform co-developed with the Toyota 86 - with the brand at last confirming a second-generation future for the Japanese performance car.

Australians have always loved the idea of the ute, an iconic vehicle with outback cred, and indeed one that was invented here by a Ford engineer, but that didn't mean we actually bought them.

Subaru’s stalwart hatch and sedan can’t afford to relax in a super-competitive world of small SUVs. We see how this fifth-generation version measures up.

A hybrid variant of the Subaru Forester SUV is due for Australian sales before the end of 2019.Using a 110kW/188Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine paired with a 10kW/65Nm 13.5kWh lithium ion battery pack and the brand’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system and CVT auto transmission, the Subaru Forester e-Boxer hybrid is said to offer fuel economy benefits of about 25 per cent over the regular model.The Forester e-Boxer hybrid is rated at 5.3L/100km on the Japanese fuel consumption cycle, versus 6.7L/100km for the 2.5-litre petrol Forester. While a 1.5L/100km improvement may not seem all that much, in urban driving the difference is likely to be much larger with hybrid engines benefiting economy more in city driving.The Japanese fuel test cycle is traditionally more lenient than international testing, so expect higher figures when the car goes on sale in Australia, but we’re expecting a combined fuel consumption rating of around 6.0L/100km - an improvement of the regular model’s 7.4L/100km combined rating.Because the battery is located on the rear axle, according to Subaru, the Forester e-Boxer has better weight distribution and a lower centre of gravity, which should improve the ride and handling balance. It's not yet clear if there will be any impact on interior space or the fitment of a full size spare wheel.While some hybrid variants of cars are styled vastly differently to seperate them from the pack, the Forester hybrid features just a couple of e-Boxer badges to differentiate it from non-hybrid variants.Local pricing, specifications and exact timing are yet to be confirmed but we understand the Subaru Forester e-Boxer will be on sale locally in the last quarter of 2019.Once it's here, the Forester e-Boxer is likely to compete with the Toyota RAV4 hybrid and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. 

Subaru used the Geneva Motor Show overnight to reveal the Viziv Adrenaline concept car, which at first appears to preview a future XV, but that is not necessarily the case.The Viziv Adrenaline's chunky styling is a clear step beyond the current XV, featuring large wheel arches with black cladding, patterned LED front foglamps, front and rear skid plates and even two bonnet scoops.From the side, the Viziv Adrenaline uses a similar silhouette as the current XV with relatively short overhangs, which could be the biggest clue as to the brand’s intentions with the concept car.The rear of the Viziv Adrenaline uses the same foglamp pattern as the front, with small LED taillights and two rear spoilers that channel air away from the rear. It’s the first car to be designed under the brand’s new “BOLDER” design philosophy, which replaces the “Dynamic x Solid” look of previous Subaru products. Subaru Australia PR boss David Rowley told CarsGuide today that the Viziv Adrenaline concept could preview a number of products, though a more off-road focused XV may be most likely."Other than just showing new Subaru design, the Viziv Adrenaline concept points  more towards off-road ability than something like an XV WRX or STi" he said.This also sounds like it could be manifest as an XV version of the more off-road flavoured Forester Sport currently sold in the US, but that roofline also suggests it could be a coupe version of the Forester. We've seen a similar relationship before, between the Mazda CX-5 and CX-4 sold in China, but also the new Volkswagen T-Roc that's effectively a coupe version of the Tiguan. Whatever the case, here's hoping the production version looks closer to the concept than what we've seen with previous Viziv concepts. 

Two Subaru starlets headlined a Hollywood-style LA premiere at the city’s motor show. The WRX has the leading role and the coming Liberty is playing support with a pointer to a fresh showroom contender early in 2015.The production-ready WRX is a predictable revision of a Japanese classic, still with a turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive but in a new body with a new approach, while the Legacy Concept hints at a significantly bigger and tougher looking Liberty for Australia. There have been all sorts of heady predictions about the new WRX, but the reality is much less adventurous than it could have been - particularly in the styling. And there is no hybrid boost.There is direct fuel injection on a new-age 2.0-litre boxer engine (199kW/349Nm) and Subaru's SI drive adjusts the driveline response. A six-speed manual is standard but, as generally hated by Carsguide, the WRX now comes with a constantly variable automatic. The four-door sedan body is well watered down from the WRX concept that got hearts pounding around the globe, but Subaru says it's much more rigid and has significantly more cabin space.It has a much curvier roofline than the Impreza sedan but there are only two common body panels, the boot being one of them. Inside, it gets a flat-bottom steering wheel for the first time and lots more soft-touch plastic. Safety improvements include an airbag for the driver's knee. The WRX will hit Australia early in 2014 and the STI hot rod will follow within six months, with a likely first appearance at the Detroit motor show in January."The biggest difference for the new WRX is in the driving experience. There is a step change to the driving response," says Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior. "From day one, the engineers have concentrated on the driving experience. It's in the chassis, the suspension, and even the body, to elevate the driving experience. And it's got the direct-injection turbo for the first time." Senior also says WRX buyers can expect more than just a $20,000 car with a lot of go-faster gear."This is, without a doubt, the biggest change since we launched the WRX back in March 1994," he says. "It has stepped away from an Impreza as a donor car. There is a dramatic uplift in the quality of the interior, which is where customers have shown the most tolerance in the past."It's been benchmarked against some top European names, in terms of earning its stripes." The new WRX is the final piece in a three-pronged small-car attack by Subaru, joining the XV compact SUV and Impreza.It will only be sold as a four-door sedan in Australia because only 16 per cent of local deliveries in the outgoing model were hatchbacks. Senior refuses to talk pricing yet but admits it could be difficult to hold the showroom sticker at the current level. "It's going to be very tough with the additional specification in the car," he says. He confirms there will be several levels of equipment in the new car."It will be late in quarter one next year. For the last 10 years we've had a basic WRX and a premium model, so that will continue," he says. "We're hopeful the STI will be a couple of months later. There won't be a huge gap. I'm reluctant to talk too much about it." But Senior is certain of the bottom line on the WRX. "It's a car, not a badge," he says bluntly.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover_______________________________________