Subaru Vortex Reviews

These pictures show the STI tackling some of the unique challenges at Mount Panorama, from the twisties out of The Dipper to the left-right flick through The Chase. Subaru says they are pictures that celebrate the car’s motorsport heritage, moving on from its World Rally Championship days into a new era of track racing.Except... Except the STI has never been to Bathurst. Not yet, anyway. "We haven’t had a car in Australia. This is all news to me," the managing director of Subaru Australia, Nick Senior, tells Carsguide. "There definitely wasn’t a photo shoot."Which means the pictures are faked, in the nicest possible way of course. And it’s a flattering tip to Bathurst. They are new-age COMGEN files, which means they are computer generated images which combine pictures of a real STI inserted into a fake background.Mount Panorama is easy to find in the world of computer gaming, which is probably where the pictures originated. The shots are clear and full of impact, although missing the latest advertising billboards - we know for sure after racing for Team Abarth in the Bathurst 12-hour race - and any on-track officials or spectators.But the pictures have got some people thinking at Subaru, especially at the STI race team which has built a car to compete in this year’s Nurburgring 24-hour race in Germany. The racer is based closely on a road car, although it does have big wings and lightweight panels, and it would sit comfortably inside the rules for the 2015 running of the Bathurst 12-hour.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover

Subaru's performance flagship is the car it should have been last time. But is that enough now?

How does the WRX STI fit into the performance-car market today?

Subaru took the wraps off the new sixth-generation Liberty just last week, and there’s already talk of new engine options for the mid-size sedan in the near future.The US-spec Legacy shown in Chicago featured almost-carryover 2.5-litre four and 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer engines from the existing fifth-generation model, with minor efficiency tweaks and a CVT auto available with the six for the first time.However, a report by Car and Driver suggests that a version of the 2.0-litre turbo four found in the Forester XT and new WRX will soon be added, and likely to replace the performance-focused 2.5-litre turbo GT for the Australian market.The report also suggests the 3.6-litre six is set to be replaced by a smaller-capacity, yet more powerful unit within the next couple of years. Subaru are yet to release consumption figures for the CVT-equipped 3.6, but the existing five-speed auto paired version sips a relatively thirsty 10.3L/100.Expect this figure to drop significantly with a new smaller engine, which is likely to embrace direct injection along with a CVT auto to rival the 9.3L/100km achieved by the Liberty’s Toyota Aurion and Nissan Altima V6 rivals.The new engine is not expected to be ready for the new Liberty-based Outback’s debut at the New York motor show in April, with a debut in the Tribeca SUV’s replacement being more likely.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

Subaru has just unveiled the 2015 Liberty sedan at Chicago motor show last week, and it looks like we'll have only a couple of months to wait before seeing the new Outback, with reports it will bow at the New York show in April.Subaru is yet to reveal the engine line-up, but there is likely to be little change from the current 127kW/235Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder and 191kW/350Nm 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol units plus a 110/350Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel.Six-speed manual and CVT transmissions are also tipped to continue, with the six-cylinder model following its Liberty basis in dropping the five-speed auto for a CVT also.All will continue to roll on Subaru's all-wheel drive system, and high-specced versions will get the latest development of the brand's Eyesight safety system with larger monitoring fields and better detection of obstacles and pedestrians.The design is likely to follow that seen on the Liberty, with a sleeker face and more sharply raked windscreen, while the interior upgrades are tipped to include higher quality materials to better arm the Outback in an increasingly competitive field -- where non-prestige brands are upgrading their offerings, and premium brands are repositioning to target more volume.The current Outback starts at $38,990 but tops out at $57,990. That puts it within whistling distance to the Volkswagen Touareg, and about $12,000 to the Volvo XC90 and Lexus RX.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

Subaru has taken its Outback back to its origins with a semi-rugged look.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the Subaru Forester as a used buy.

Subaru launched sales of the BRZ here solely online, but improved supply from the Japanese factory means the sports coupe is now being retailed through dealers.

Subaru has officially taken the wraps off the new sixth-generation Liberty mid-size sedan, with its Legacy-badged US cousin making an appearance at the Chicago motor show this week.The new model’s styling had already been uncovered after images leaked online earlier this week, but Subaru has now confirmed several new details.Revealed in sedan only for now, the new Liberty is 51mm longer than the fifth-generation model (now 4796mm), 60mm wider at 1840mm, and 5mm lower at 1500mm, riding on the same 2750mm wheelbase.Building on the styling of the current Impreza, Forester and the recently unveiled WRX, Subaru describes the new Liberty’s more sculptured body as “muscularity with agility.”Also like the Impreza and Forester, the new Liberty’s A-pillars have been moved forward and the wing mirrors relocated to the doors to improve driver visibility.The extra body width and improved packaging has resulted in improvements to occupant shoulder, elbow, waist and rear leg room within the all-new interior.The Liberty’s chassis has been revised with greater use of high-strength steel for improved rigidity, and revised suspension geometry for improved dynamics and ride quality, while Active Torque Vectoring has been added to direct torque more effectively to each wheel.The existing 2.5-litre four and 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer petrol engines are carried over for the new model, with several revisions to improve driveability and efficiency of the all-wheel drive lineup.For the 2.5-litre, US specs suggest outputs of 130kW/236Nm (up 3kW/1Nm), but mid-range torque has been improved, along with undisclosed fuel economy gains.Six-cylinder models now come paired with a CVT auto like existing four-cylinder option, stepping up from the five-speed torque converter unit used with the current six.US specs claim outputs of 190kW/335Nm (down 1kW/15Nm), while a new ECU combines with the new transmission to also result in an undisclosed fuel consumption improvement.On the safety front, the new Liberty is available with a revised EyeSight driver assistance system that gains reversing radar for the first time, along with blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, plus active cornering lights. The side airbags are now a two-chamber design, and the curtain airbags now cover a larger area.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

Subaru is readying the 2015 Liberty (known as the Legacy in other markets) for an unveiling at Chicago motor show tomorrow, but has been beaten to the punch by images appearing online, giving us a look inside and out.First posted on a US site, the images show more conventional styling than the Legacy Concept that was unveiled last year, but a sleeker coupe-like roof line than the current model.The interior shots show a streamlined approach to dashboard layout, handsome saddle-stitched leather upholstery and metal and wood-finish accents.Subaru has already announced the car will get the latest version of its Eyesight safety system, with stereo colour cameras that have expanded the monitored area and improved recognition of obstacles and pedestrian traffic.The Liberty is likely to continue with the current engines: a 127kW/235Nm 2.5-litre as the opener with six-speed manual and CVT auto transmission choices, and a 195kW/350Nm turbocharged 2.5-litre with the chance of a six-speed auto replacing the current five-speed for the upper spec. The cars will of course carry on with Subaru's signature all-wheel drive system.Expect to see the Liberty arrive here early next year, followed by the wagon version that will be unveiled at a future motor show later in 2014.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott