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Back to July 2011 Motorsports News Archive
| 05-07-2011 at 10:00: Subaru All 4 the Future | |
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With its largest-ever Australian motor show presence, Subaru is underlining its focus on safety, style, performance, fun and recreation. In line with Subaru’s All 4 the Driver customer promise, AIMS is the first show worldwide to display the XV Concept and new generation Impreza at one location. XV Concept points to a possible new generation sub-compact Sports Utility Vehicle. AIMS is also the worldwide debut for right-hand drive new generation Impreza, displayed in Melbourne in both sedan and hatch models. Showcased too for the first time outside Japan is the innovative EyeSight™ safety system, to be launched in range-topping Model Year 2012 Liberty and Outback models. Other Subaru technologies on display at AIMS include the latest generation horizontally opposed Boxer engine and Lineartronic™Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Nick Senior, Managing Director, Subaru Australia said: “We’re delighted to have so many examples of great Subaru design and technology on display in Melbourne. “We have our largest Australian motor show stand to date and it’s a great opportunity to share this exciting preview of our future, plus our current All-Wheel Drive range. “Both XV Concept and our fourth generation Impreza have been warmly received overseas and we’re grateful that Fuji Heavy Industries has chosen Australia as the first destination where they can be seen in the one location. “XV Concept could have huge potential if it were to become a reality. Firstly Outback, then Forester, proved Subaru’s ability as a pioneer in the SUV market. XV Concept could well offer similar success, with a different, bold approach to the sub-compact SUV arena.” He added: “New generation Impreza is already drawing significant customer enquiry and is likely to generate even more interest in Australia thanks to its headlining status at the show. “Like Impreza, the EyeSight™ safety system will also be launched locally, with Australia the first overseas market outside Japan. “Some aspects of this technology are currently only available in cars costing around four times what we anticipate. “It’s again going to highlight Subaru’s long-term safety commitment, which includes a five star rating for occupant safety for every car in our range from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).” Subaru has yet to announce a launch date for Impreza or EyeSight equipped vehicles. XV CONCEPT Underpinned by a horizontally opposed Boxer engine and symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, the XV Concept is a solid yet stylish package. It features Subaru’s new hexagonal grille design with winged motif and hawk-eye headlights. The black lower bumper and wheel arch protection, combined with the car’s metallic highlights, underline its crossover status. The distinctive five-spoke alloy wheel design features silver spokes, black rims and clear blue centre caps, complementing the car’s strength and road presence. The XV concept roof features a continuous glass sheet, while metallic and clear-finish roof rails are another striking visual cue. A light interior leather treatment contrasts with the darker tones of other cabin features. A large touch panel multi-function display in the centre panel enables easy navigation and audio control while displaying vehicle information. Major specifications: Body size (overall length x width x height): 4450 mm x 1800 mm x 1620 mm NEW GENERATION IMPREZA Subaru’s next generation Impreza features a dynamic, stylish new look, major technical innovations, massive fuel efficiency gains and refined cabins featuring classy soft touch finishes and computerised information displays. The keenly anticipated symmetrical All-Wheel Drive Impreza’s boast huge fuel efficiency gains from the all-new 2.0 litre horizontally opposed Boxer engine. New Impreza offers significantly improved cabin space – cleverly designed within the same exterior dimensions as the superseded car. It has a longer wheelbase, but shorter overhangs. For the first time, Impreza will offer a Lineartronic™ Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) in addition to a refined six-speed manual. New Impreza features a bolder, more confident design that emphasizes its sporty roots and safety-enhancing All-Wheel Drive performance. In profile, Impreza displays powerful wheel arches that draw on the design theme warmly received in last year’s Impreza concept car. Sharply sculpted character lines enhance the way light and shade play on the design. The sleek silhouette incorporates a larger cabin glass area, which also aids visibility – a Subaru design priority. The hexagonal grille, now a keynote feature of all new Subaru designs, features a honeycomb pattern, accentuated by the hawk-eye headlights. Impreza debuts all-new wheel designs, highlighting the car’s high-tech, sporty and fun nature. Numerous exterior and interior design elements combine to give Impreza a sportier stance, while also offering the driver and passengers a more commanding, confident road view. The windscreen is more raked than previously, with the base of the A-pillar moved 200 millimetres forward. This enables a front door opening nearly 127 mm wider, for easier entry/exit, aided by doorsills that are 20 mm lower than before. Rear doors are also larger in both body styles. To maximize driver visibility when cornering, Impreza features thinner A-pillars and partitioned front door glass. This allows for a slimmer secondary pillar – and therefore better visibility – compared to other cars using a “pulled-forward” windscreen design and thicker secondary pillars. The top-of-door interior trim is 60 mm lower. These elements contribute to better visibility, which is also enhanced by a 10 mm higher front hip point and a 20 mm higher rear hip point for occupants. The instrument panel is lower and flatter than before, resulting in a wider field of vision and a feeling of greater spaciousness. Exterior wing mirrors with 23 per cent more surface area enhance visibility and driving safety. Relocating the mirrors from the A-pillars to the doors contributes to improved sight lines. The sporty instrument panel and three-spoke steering wheel are augmented in some Impreza models by a multi-function display with trip computer, located in the centre of the dashboard. Richer looking appointments and details abound, including soft-touch materials for the dashboard, door trim and centre console armrest. In higher specification models, the armrest features a slide adjustment for greater comfort and versatility. In the hatch, it is easier to load and unload heavy objects, thanks to the removal of a stepped section under the opening. The cargo area cover can now be stored under the cargo floor, as on the Forester. In the sedan, boot functionality is improved with support arms – reshaped and enclosed within the boot interior trim – ensuring they do not make contact with stored items when the lid is closed. When the boot release is activated from within the car or via the remote control, the lid opens wider than before. Subaru designers paid special attention to increasing not only cargo area and boot room, but also carrying space and utility throughout the vehicle. Larger door pockets can hold plastic drink bottles and large maps. Numerous compartments located in and around the centre console hold a variety of items, such as phones, USB drives and MP3 players. For those who still prefer to listen to music on compact disc, the console compartments provide ample storage for CD cases. ALL-NEW BOXER ENGINE NOW WITH LINEARTRONIC CVT The 2012 Impreza is powered by an all-new 2.0-litre four-cylinder horizontally opposed Boxer engine, with the choice of either a six-speed manual transmission or the new ultra-efficient Lineartronic CVT. With either transmission, the 2012 Impreza delivers significantly higher fuel efficiency than the car it replaces. However, new Impreza has not yet been tested to Australian Design Rules, so no local figures are yet available. The new engine produces 110 Kilowatts of power and 196 Newtonmetres of torque and is expected to be quicker than previous models. Subaru’s new engine family, which debuted in the 2011 Forester in 2.5-litre form, uses a double overhead-cam design. The Dual Active Valve Control System (DAVCS) controls valve timing on both the intake and exhaust valves to optimize performance, fuel efficiency, and emissions. Impreza employs a more efficient exhaust system that allows an optimized catalyst placement for faster heat-up, to reduce emissions immediately after engine start-up. The new-generation Boxer features a longer stroke to maximize low- and mid-range torque, as well as producing environmental benefits. It is even more responsive, especially when equipped with the new Lineartronic CVT. Subaru first introduced its Lineartronic CVT in the 2010 Liberty and Outback models, and now the 2012 Impreza debuts a lighter, quieter and more compact version that delivers both enhanced driving performance and environmental friendliness. Unlike a conventional automatic transmission, which uses fixed gear ratios, the CVT provides infinite variability between the highest and lowest available ratios, with no discernable steps or shifts. The lighter, more compact CVT constantly and smoothly adapts to performance demand, helping to keep the engine in its most efficient operating range. Compared to CVTs used in other brands, the Impreza CVT provides wider ratio coverage, due to a greater difference between the largest and smallest pulley diameters. Subaru developed the new CVT in the 2012 Impreza to deliver smooth, linear acceleration, closer to a conventional automatic transmission, while still delivering the efficiency benefits of a CVT. Low-speed acceleration in particular feels even stronger than a comparison of performance figures alone might suggest. Premium Impreza models with the CVT also feature a six-speed manual mode with steering wheel paddle shifters, allowing the driver to control the transmission via six pre-set ratios. The driver can engage manual mode with the shift lever or, when in “D” mode, temporarily access manual mode by operating an up or downshift shift paddle. In that instance, the transmission will return to automatic mode once the vehicle is travelling at a constant speed.
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Subaru highlighted its commitment to the Australian market by showcasing four examples of future designs and technologies at the Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) in Melbourne. 
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