Geneva '08 Preview: Suburu officially brings diesels to the Legacy and Outback
From what we've heard, the new 2.0L Boxer Diesel engine from Subaru is quite a powerplant. We've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of these cars in the U.S. Unfortunately, we don't have any hard data on its arrival in the States to report, but we do have confirmation that the Legacy and Outback with the diesel will be shown off in Geneva at the upcoming Motor Show. Autoblog will be present at the event and we'll be sure to bring you all the goods and live photos of both the Legacy sedan and the Outback wagon. There are no real changes to the looks of the car, but under the skin is an engine which makes plenty of usable power while returning as much as 41 miles per gallon. We're salivating at the thought of getting this engine in the new Forester SUV. An affordable, high-mileage vehicle with plenty of versatility in the form of storage and human space with standard all wheel drive will surely fill the needs of plenty of green-minded individuals.
Gallery: 2008 Subaru Legacy 2.0D and Outback 2.0D
(Via AutoblogGreen.)
Subaru R1e electric vehicle ready for sale early
Subaru's parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), has announced that the R1e electric vehicle will begin silently rolling off dealer lots come 2009, which is a year ahead of schedule. With lithium-ion batteries developed by the Tokyo Electric Power Company, the R1e will have a 50-mile range and a 62-MPH top speed. While the 'range isn't too impressive -- although plenty for typical urban commuting, and it will certainly increase -- the car can be 80-percent recharged in just 8 minutes.
Prices haven't been released for the 2009 launch, but FHI says that by 2012 or 2013, it expects to be able to sell the car for around $17,500. A couple more years of mass production of the battery should allow for a price drop to about $13,100. Initially, FHI only plans to sell 100 of the cars annually, which is only 60 more than are being tested on roads right now and sounds rather conservative to us. Nevertheless, for those of you in Japan, your electric future is nearly here.
(Via Autoblog.)
Making its debut at this past Frankfurt Motor Show, Subaru presents the all-new Justy for the UK market. The previous Justy was a based on the Suzuki Ignis since 2004, however, this new supermini gets the Daihatsu Sirion as its new donor. Apparently, Toyota who has a common share in Daihatsu and Subaru is credited for making the arrangement.
The Justy is setting no speed records any time soon with a 0-60 mph time of 13.5 seconds and top speed of 99 mph, but the Justy achieves 64.2 mpg and 118 g/km CO2 emissions which are amongst the best performing figures in its class. As a result, the 1.0 liter three cylinder engine making 68 bhp an 69.3 lb-ft of torque which is the same engine found in the Toyota Yaris and Aygo, Citroën C1 and Peugeot 107 should be London Congestion charge-free when it goes into effect in 2008.
Seeking environmentally-conscious customers as well as those seeking ultra-low running costs, the new Justy's is priced at £8495 on the road and will be limited to 1000 units in th UK versus the 6000 in all of Europe. The Justy will be built at Daihatsu's main plant, Ikeda, in Osaka Japan.
Press Release
SUBARU INTRODUCES CONGESTION CHARGE-BUSTING SUPERMINI
- Totally new five-door 1.0 litre Justy supermini
- Outstandingly good fuel economy at 64.2 mpg Extra Urban
- Outstandingly low emissions at 118 g/km
- Should be London Congestion Charge-free
- Outstandingly low running costs including £35 per year RFL
- Standard five-year/60,000 mile warranty
- Outstandingly high equipment such as ABS with EBD, air-conditioning, driver, passenger, side and four curtain airbags, alloy wheels, rev-counter, fuel-economy read-out, radio/CD player with auxiliary input socket, rear parking sensors, ISOFIX child-seat mountings, four electric windows and remote central-locking with alarm
- Justy 1.0 R on sale now at only £8,495 on-the-road
Subaru’s new Justy supermini is now on sale, offering outstanding fuel economy, equipment and space plus ultra-low exhaust emissions which should make it exempt from the proposed new London Congestion Charge.
In fact, with a 64.2 mpg Extra Urban figure, ultra-low 118 g/km exhaust emissions and annual £35 Road Fund Licence, the new Justy 1.0 R promises to be one of the cheapest petrol-engined cars to run on UK roads.
However, the five-door body offers interior space from the next class up while the efficient, 69 PS three-cylinder 1.0 litre engine offers sufficient power for long-distance driving. Top speed, for example, is almost 100 mph and the 0-60 mph time is 13.5 seconds.
The new Subaru Justy also carries a peace-of-mind five-year/60,000 mile warranty backed by five-years’ UK and European roadside assistance.
Standard equipment is outstanding for a small car and includes: ABS with EBD, driver, passenger, side and front and rear curtain airbags, alloy wheels, air-conditioning, radio/CD player, rev-counter, fuel-economy read-out, four electric windows, reversing sensors, remote central-locking with alarm and ISOFIX child-seat mountings.
The front-wheel drive Justy is based on the Japanese-built Daihatsu Sirion. It is supplied thanks to an arrangement with Toyota which has a share in both Subaru and Daihatsu.
Subaru’s version will be limited to only 6,000 units per year throughout the whole of Europe and 1,000 sales in the UK, ensuring strong residuals.
Strong Customer Loyalty
Lawrence Good, Subaru (UK) Limited Managing Director said: “Everyone is very enthusiastic about the new Justy as it is will appeal to environmentally-conscious motorists and those seeking ultra-low running costs.
“Subaru dealers enjoy strong customer loyalty and the new Justy gives them a much-needed entry-level car to sell to both existing customers and new prospects.”
The new Subaru Justy carries a five-year/60,000 mile mechanical warranty and five-years’ UK and European roadside assistance.
It also has a 12-year anti-perforation warranty and its Group 5D insurance rating is also highly-competitive.
Spacious Interior
The new Subaru Justy has a particularly spacious five-seat interior clothed in a stylish body with an exceptionally low 0.31 Cd drag coefficient which improves fuel economy and high-speed touring and refinement.
Its wide-opening doors and 590 mm seat height allow easy entry and exit – especially appreciated by older customers. The rear doors, for example, open to 80 degrees. Luggage space measures 225 litres with the rear seat up and 630 litres (VDA) when folded, making it a practical small family car. Its turning circle is an especially tight 9.4 metres.
Well-Proven Powertrain
The punchy 1.0 litre twin-overhead camshaft petrol engine – mated to a manual five-speed gearbox is not only extremely economical and low-polluting but also well-proven.
In fact, the same three-cylinder engine not only sees service in the Daihatsu Sirion but also in the Toyota Yaris and Aygo, Citroën C1 and Peugeot 107.
Producing 69.3 PS at 6,000 rpm and 69.3 lb ft of torque at 3,600 rpm, the 12-valve unit offers some of the highest outputs for its class.
And the variable valve-timing enhances both low-speed pulling power and high-rev responsiveness.
Top speed is a highly competitive 99.4 mph with a 0-60 mph time of 13.5 seconds. Meanwhile fuel economy figures are class-challenging at 46.3/64.2 and 56.5 mpg on the Urban/Extra Urban and Combined Cycles.
In addition, the CO2 emissions are among the lowest available in a petrol-engined car at 118 g/km.
This puts the Justy in Band B for Road Fund Licence at only £35 per year and should result in it being London Congestion Charge-free when proposed new changes take place in 2008.
European-Tuned Chassis
The new Subaru Justy benefits from a European-tuned chassis which has long suspension-travel for a smooth ride. Unusually, anti-roll bars are fitted at the front and rear which combine with firm damping to aid agility.
The front suspension is via MacPherson struts and the rear is equally conventional featuring a torsion bar with separate coil springs. Its power steering is via an electric system which helps fuel economy but has been tuned for more feel than provided by some competitors.
Safety-wise, the new Justy’s multiple airbags are complemented by an advanced braking system featuring not only anti-lock ventilated front discs and rear drums (ABS) but also Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). This optimises the braking force according to the weight distribution of passengers and luggage.
Performance And Economy:
| Top Speed mph | 0-60 sec | Urban mpg | Extra Urban mpg | Combined mpg | CO2 emissions | |
| Justy 1.0 R | 99.4 | 13.5 | 46.3 | 64.2 | 56.5 | 118 g/km |
NEW SUBARU JUSTY 1.0 R - SPECIFICATION
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHTS | ||
| Overall length mm | 3,600 | |
| Overall width mm | 1,665 | |
| Overall height mm | 1,550 | |
| Wheelbase | 2,430 | |
| Track | ||
| Front mm | 1,460 | |
| Rear mm | 1,465 | |
| Ground clearance mm | 150 | |
| Turning circle (kerb-to-kerb) m | 9.4 | |
| Fuel capacity litres | 40 | |
| Luggage capacity litres | Seat up | |
| VDA | 225 | |
| Load length mm | 570 | |
| Manual | ||
| Kerb weight kg | 890 | |
| Payload | 500 | |
| Towing weight kg | ||
| Braked | 750 | |
| Unbraked | 350 | |
| Gross vehicle weight kg | 1390 | |
| ENGINE | 1.0 litre | |
| Type | Water cooled, three-cylinder mounted transversely. Four valves per cylinder with double overhead camshafts. Dynamic Variable Valve Timing (DVVT) | |
| Bore and stroke | 71 x 84 | |
| Capacity cc | 998 | |
| Compression ratio | 10.5:1 | |
| Maximum power PS (kW) (bhp) | 69.3 (51) (68.4) | |
| at | 6,000 rpm | |
| Maximum torque lb ft (Nm) | 69.3 (94) | |
| at | 3,600 rpm | |
| Fuel system | Unleaded 95 octane petrol. Electronic fuel injection | |
| TRANSMISSION | Front-wheel drive with 5-speed manual | |
| Clutch | Mechanically operated, single dry plate with diaphragm spring | |
| Manual 1.0 | ||
| Ratios | 1st | 3.182 |
| 2nd | 1.842 | |
| 3rd | 1.250 | |
| 4th | 0.917 | |
| 5th | 0.750 | |
| Reverse | 3.143 | |
| Final rear drive | 4.500 | |
| mph/1000 rpm | ||
| 1st | 4.6 | |
| 2nd | 8.0 | |
| 3rd | 11.8 | |
| 4th | 16.1 | |
| 5th | 19.7 | |
| STEERING | Power assisted rack and pinion. Speed-sensitive electric system | |
| SUSPENSION | |
| Front | Independent, MacPherson struts and coil springs, anti-roll bar |
| Rear | Semi-independent with torsion beam axle, coil springs, anti-roll bar |
| BRAKES | Ventilated discs front, rear drums leading and trailing. Handbrake - mechanical on rear wheels. Four sensor, four-channel anti-lock (ABS) with electric brake force distribution (EBD) |
| TYRES | 175/65 R14 |
| WHEELS | 14 x 5 ins alloy |
| PERFORMANCE | 1.0 Litre Manual |
| Maximum speed, mph | 99.4 |
| 0-62 mph, sec | 13.5 |
| Department of Transport fuel consumption figures, mpg (litres/100 km) | |
| Mpg (litres/100 km) | 1.0 Litre Manual |
| Urban | 46.3 (6.1) |
| Extra Urban | 64.2 (4.4) |
| Combined | 56.5 (5.0) |
| CO2 Emissions, g/km | 118 |
SUBARU LAUNCHES NEXT-GENERATION IMPREZA WRX STI
-
All-New Platform with Competition-Inspired 5-Door Body
-
305-HP Intercooled / Turbocharged Boxer Engine
-
New Multi-Mode DCCD All-Wheel Drive System and VDC
-
New Double-Wishbone Rear Suspension and 18-Inch Wheels
Subaru of America, Inc. debuts the all-new 2008 Impreza WRX STI today at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. The ultimate performance Subaru is powered by a 305-horsepower Boxer engine and features a new level of driver-selectable powertrain- and dynamic handling-control. The 2008 WRX STI is built exclusively as an aggressively styled wide-fender 5-door model with a design strongly influenced by the brand’s competition heritage.
The 2008 WRX STI is the third-generation of the rally-bred supercar, which Subaru of America first launched to the U.S. market in 2004. Developed by Subaru Tecnica International, the high-performance and motorsports subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the WRX STI features an exclusive engine, drivetrain, suspension and interior.
The WRX STI’s revised 2.5-liter intercooled turbocharged Boxer engine, now with Dual Active Valve Control System (Dual AVCS), produces 305 horsepower (SAE) at 6,000 rpm, a gain of 12 over the previous model. The 290 lb.-ft. torque peak is the same as before but arrives at 4,000 rpm, which is 400 rpm earlier, for better response. Significantly, the more powerful 2008 WRX STI achieves the very stringent Bin 5 Tier 2-Federal (EPA) and LEV2-California Tier 2/Bin 5 emissions certification.
The Driver Control Center Differential (DCCD) version of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive – which remains exclusive to the Impreza WRX STI – takes driver-controlled response to another level for 2008. The DCCD system now offers three selectable automatic performance modes in addition to the six manual differential-locking settings. For the first time, the DCCD AWD system integrates the Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) stability and traction control system, also with three driver-selectable positions.
The 2008 WRX STI offers five-spoke 18 x 8.5-inch wheels as standard. Also available are optional 18 x 8.5 in. BBS® forged aluminum-alloy wheels. All 18-in. wheels wear Dunlop SP600 245/40R18 tires.
New side-curtain airbags are standard, and the new Incline Start Assist feature can momentarily prevent the vehicle from rolling backward when being driven away from a stop on an incline.
Even with the new, roomier 5-door body, special chassis reinforcements, new double-wishbone rear suspension and added safety features, the 2008 WRX STI (with the available BBS wheel package) weighs just 22 lbs. more than the 2007 WRX STI sedan. In addition, the 2008 WRX STI offers the added refinement instilled throughout the next-generation Impreza model line that was introduced for 2007.
The new suspension with special STI tuning along with the stiffer platform give the 2008 WRX STI the agile responses that have made this model a performance superstar. At the same time, the new WRX STI exhibits a more refined demeanor on any road. The Brembo Performance Brake System employs ventilated 4-wheel Super Sport anti-lock (ABS) disc brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). The braking system is enhanced in the new 2008 WRX STI with slightly larger rotors.
The bulged fenders and rear quarter panels, along with the rear gate-mounted spoiler and aerodynamic ground effects, give the new WRX STI a direct link to Subaru competition cars. The hood scoop, brake-cooling air intakes and engine heat outlets are all functional. The standard high-intensity discharge (HID) low beams use manual height adjusters. Fog light insert covers add to the no-nonsense look, and fog lights are included with the BBS wheel option package.
Standard amenities include an automatic climate control system with cabin air filtration; a standard AM/FM premium stereo with 6-disc in-dash CD changer and 10 speakers, plus a vehicle security system with engine immobilizer. The Radio Broadcast Data System can display a variety of information, including a song’s title and artist. For the first time, the WRX STI is available with an optional navigation system, which integrates a vehicle information center. In addition to an input for MP3 players, the center console also includes video jacks that can accommodate portable gaming devices. The WRX STI comes pre-wired for XM® or SIRIUS® Satellite Radio.
Subaru of America will showcase the all-new Impreza and Impreza WRX models during the SEMA show, with a collection of tuned 4 and 5-door 2008 models, including a Halloween themed Impreza WRX and the original Subaru performance icon, the 1998 Impreza 22B.
Show display cars include:
Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT) WRX 5-door with engine work by AEM. Boasting 450 HP, this ultimate WRX features extensive engine tuning parts including; programmable engine management system, AIT and Map sensor, Harman Motive GT35R Turbo kit, STI (Subaru Technica International) 6-speed transmission and STI Twin Plate clutch. The interior features Sparco seats and harnesses, a full roll cage and custom gauges. Prodrive 18-inch GTI wheels provide a more menacing appearance to match the performance potential. This vehicle showcases the tuning potential provided by the tried and true combination of Subaru Symmetrical AWD and the turbocharged flat four boxer engine. Just a hint of what will be available in the aftermarket for the WRX.
Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT) WRX 5-door outfitted with signature SPT cat-back exhaust system, cold air intake, turbo heat shield and battery tie-down. The car has STI springs, 18-inch STI wheels and various STI interior and exterior styling and performance features.
Subaru Rally Team USA prototype WRX 5-door to be campaigned in the 2008 season by SRTUSA rally driver Ken Block and 2006 and 2007 Rally America National Champion, Travis Pastrana. Featuring an all-new paint scheme, extensive carbon fiber racing parts and a rally-ready 2.0-liter Boxer race engine developing approximately 325 HP and 425 lb.-ft. of torque.
Happy Halloween. This one-of-a kind WRX 5-door “Ten Thirty-One” car by Subaru features Halloween lighting effects to the headlights, taillights, wheel openings, front grille and undercarriage all wrapped in a Halloween-themed orange and black body.
2008 Subaru Impreza WRX sedan by Sport Compact Car Magazine. The new SCC project car features SPT cat-back exhaust system and turbo heat shield, Crawford Performance downpipe and I-Speed USA ECU, AP Racing front four-piston big brake kit, 13-inch two-piece front brake rotors, rear two-piston big brake kit with 13-inch rear brake rotors. The interior features a Pioneer Electronics stereo and Sparco seats. A custom flat-black paint job offset by unique white painted Prodrive 18-inch wheels that announce this as an SCC project car.
Kicker Impreza 2.5i sedan equipped with a full line of Kicker car audio equipment including Kicker RS56.2 - 4 sets, ZX650.4 – 2, ZX1500.1 – 2, CVX10 4ohm – 6, Stinger SP1000 – 1, SP800 – 3 and 2 Clarion VMA7196 7” monitors highlighting an Xbox360 Elite. Bodywork incorporates the latest in STI accessories, with STI sport springs and carbon fiber body kit.
The limited production 1998 Impreza 22B STI Coupe developed to commemorate 40 years of Subaru and celebrate the Subaru World Rally Team’s third World Rally Championship (WRC) Manufacturers title. Subaru produced just 400 of these legendary cars for the Japanese market and only 24 cars for the rest of the world. Three non-numbered cars were built for competition in the WRC and driven by the late Colin McRae.
