Subaru Vortex Reviews

Subaru has dropped the price of entry to its popular Forester SUV range, with the base 2.0i petrol manual reduced by $1000 to $29,990.The price reduction is exclusive to the 110kW/198Nm 2.0-litre ‘i’ petrol manual, which was already the cheapest all-wheel drive mid-size SUV among the Forester’s key rivals, now some $1500 beneath the next-in-line $31,490 Ford Kuga Ambiente auto.No other changes have been made to the Forester lineup, which includes the auto-only 126kW/235Nm 2.5 litre petrol, manual-only 108kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel, and auto-only 177kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol drivetrain options.The fourth-generation Forester has been on sale for 12 months, and continues to be Subaru’s best-selling model and the third-best selling mid-size SUV despite retaining its all-wheel drive only lineup.Most of the Forester’s competitors have moved to offer cheaper and more efficient two-wheel drive models in addition to more off-road and traction-friendly all-wheel versions.“The safety benefits and flexibility of All-Wheel Drive are another Forester plus as some other brands charge a considerable premium for the technology, way above their entry-level two-wheel drive variants,” Subaru Australia Managing Director Nick Senior explains.All Subaru Forester models carry a maximum five star ANCAPsafety rating, and come with a full-size spare wheel beneath the cargo floor. Subaru Forester combined fuel consumption ranges from 5.9L/100km for the diesel models, to 7.2L/100km for 2.0-litre petrol manuals, to 8.1 for 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre petrol autos, and 8.5L/100km for the auto-only turbo XTs. The new $29,990 entry point should help the Forester in the mid-size SUV sales race, after its third-placing 13,649 sales in 2013, compared to the Mazda CX-5 with 20,129 and Toyota RAV4 with 16,983, with the Honda CR-V in fourth at 12,510, and the soon-to-be replaced Nissan X-Trail in fifth at 10,701 sales.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn2014 Subaru Forester pricingSubaru Forester 2.0i petrol manual - $29,990 (down $1000)Subaru Forester 2.5i petrol auto - $32,990Subaru Forester 2.0i-L petrol manual - $33,490Subaru Forester 2.5i-L petrol auto - $35,990Subaru Forester 2.5i-S petrol auto - $43,990Subaru Forester 2.0D diesel manual - $35,490Subaru Forester 2.0D-L diesel manual - $37,490Subaru Forester 2.0D-S diesel manual - $43,990Subaru Forester 2.0XT turbo petrol auto - $43,490Subaru Forester 2.0XT Premium turbo petrol auto - $50,490 

The Subaru Liberty is marking its 25th anniversary for the Legacy nameplate under which it sells overseas, and to chime in with the birthday the carmaker is unveiling the next version at Chicago motor show on February 6.Subaru has released a teaser image that gives a look at the profile, but fans will already have an idea of what to expect, after seeing the Legacy concept that debuted at the Los Angeles show in November. The Japanese brand has already said the 2015 Liberty will get sharper styling and more features, including the latest iteration of Subaru's Eyesight safety system, with colour stereo cameras with a larger range and better ability to recognise obstacles and pedestrians.No further details have been released, but it's likely the current naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder will continue in the lower-level models, mated in Australia only to a six-speed continuously variable auto transmission - and it's unlikely the outputs will change from the exiting car's 127kW of power and 235Nm of torque.And the turbocharged 2.5-litre for the upper levels is also expected to return, with both six-speed manual and possibly a six-speed auto replacing the outgoing five-speed, plus a hoped-for increase on the current 195kW and 350Nm.All variants will feature Subaru's all-wheel drive. A wagon body is also in the wings, although we may not see that until a future motor show later in 2014.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Yes. there's a new one in the works, but you can't keep a good special edition down especially one as attractive as this.

Nissan is stoking up its sports car mojo. It's developing the next-generation GT-R, looking at developing the IDx Concept, and has unveiled a slew of hot variations of the GT-R, Juke and Pulsar from its Nismo tuning arm.So what's happening with the Z car, with the 370Z having been around for six years and starting to now look a little long in the tooth against new rivals like the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ?Expect to see a departure from the current car, with a smaller vehicle powered by a similarly downsized engine -- a turbo-charged four-cylinder, according to Autocar -- rather than the 3.7-litre V6 carried by the 370Z. Power is likely to slightly rise over the six's 245kW, while torque will likely at the least match its 363Nm, depending on the expected lighter weight of the new Z (the 370Z rings the bell at 1468kg).The design is yet to be signed off but Nissan design boss Shiro Nakamura confirmed to the Britsh site that a plan was already in place and that the coming Z "could be smaller" while product chief Andy Palmer pointed to the turbo four engine, adding that we'll see both a standard version and a Nismo one.With Nissan Australia still working on a business case for the Nismo offerings, there's no certainty we'll see that model here, but we're sure to get the cooking Z, following in the footsteps of the 370Z that arrived first in 2009, and a lineage of 44 years that stretches all the way back to the Datsun 240Z in 1970.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

We're so used to seeing gleaming perfect vehicles in car ads that we occasionally wonder if cars even get dusty in that world -- let along collect the occasional scrape or scuff. So it's startling to see Subaru make such a huge departure from the norm in showing a car that has been reduced to a write-off -- horrifyingly mangled.The commercial, created by Carmichael Lynch for Subaru of America shows a totalled Subaru Outback after what must have been a horrific crash. And it hasn't come out of the props department, either -- this was a car that had actually been in an accident.The Outback passes by a series of people, including emergency services, police and the tow-truck driver, with the only comment from each being "they lived", following which we see a family getting into a new Outback, with dad adding "we lived".Seeing the crumpled wreckage of the Outback is supposed to showcase the vehicle's top crash safety rating, but there's always the risk that the imagery (and the reminder of death) could actually put people off the model instead of attracting them to buy it.Watch the ad and tell us what you think? If this was showing a model you were considering, would it deter you or convince you to buy it?This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

Twenty years after the first WRX STI Impreza appeared, Subaru has unveiled the all-new latest car, promising more refinement and agility.See the 2014 Subaru WRX STI in action on our desktop site. 

Twenty years after the first WRX STI Impreza appeared, Subaru has unveiled the all-new latest car, promising more refinement and agility.The STI will continue with a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder -- an uprated version of the mill in the current car, with power raised 6kW to 227kW but  a drop of 14Nm at 392Nm of torque. Both power and torque hit carryover peaks of 6000rpm and 4000rpm respectively.  The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission -- there's no sign of the five-speed auto -- and Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive system split 49:51 per cent front/rear.The STI also gets  faster steering, a retuned and stiffer suspension set-up with 16 per cent less body roll, upgraded Brembo brakes and new vehicle dynamics technology including active torque vectoringFollowing the leaked photos of the STI last week, we've already had a decent look at its more aggressive bodykit treatment -- in signature WRC hero blue set off with gold BBS wheels -- with the expected high rear wing, which will feature on a limited-edition 1000 unit launch model that also scores a short-throw shift. The WRX STI will go on sale in April in overseas markets and arriving here after mid-year. The sedan (also unveiled in Detroit in a more sober silver) will be the only body for the STI, with Subaru axing the hatch variant in the face of shrinking buyer interest.However the brand is determined to prove the STI can continue to be hot without a hatch, and last week revealed a race version armed for the Nurburgring 24-Hour -- in which it's won the SP3T class three times in seven years -- with an arsenal of track kit, including bolt-on wheel-arch flares, high-performance rear wing, bar and diffuser, and carbon-fibre splitter and ailerons at the front.Subaru US president Tom Doll also signalled Subaru's intentions for the 2014 World Rally Championship with the news that Travis Pastrana will return to the helm this year.

The fanfare surrounding Nissan’s IDx and BladeGlider concepts at last year’s Tokyo motor show was such that the Japanese brand has green-lit plans for production versions, according to Autocar.

Subaru have revealed a new circuit-prepped version of its new WRX STI ahead of the roadgoing model’s official debut in Detroit next week. The single rendered image of the new racer in sponsors’ livery is our first official look at Subaru’s new flagship WRX model – although we’ve already seen multiple leaked images showing the WRX STI from every angle earlier this week.Compared with the production model, the racing version sports bolt-on wheelarch flares on all corners, extra bonnet vents, carbon-fibre splitter and ailerons added to the front bar, plus a race-spec rear bar, diffuser and rear wing. Race-spec forged wheels are also visible, with upgraded brakes with compote rotors for coping with the rigours of racing.The Japanese brand’s performance arm – Subaru Tecnica International – or STI have developed the car to take on the Nurburgring 24-Hour race in June, where it will aim for its third victory in the SP3T class in seven years. Along with the Nurburgring 24-Hour, STI will field entries in the Japanese Super GT Series with a BRZ-based racer in 2014, plus privateer rally entries in the WRC2 and ERC.    

In Russia, drift and rally fans don’t need big power to finesse their skills thanks to the Federation’s near perennial abundance of snow and ice.As a result, any old Lada Riva or Samara can be slewed sideways through the snow and slush, or even a GAZelle commercial van – if you’ve got one handy.The above video captures all of these in super slow-mo, with a dash of Ford Fiesta and Sierra, Subaru WRX and Toyota Celica GT-Four to showcase the yaw potential of front, rear, or all-wheel drive. Watch the desktop version of the budget Russian drift video here. This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn