SUBARU FORESTER 2008 – 2017

2016 Subaru Forester

By EWAN KENNEDY, Marque Motoring CAPTION: A. B. C. 2016 Subaru Forester BODY COPY Subaru is a quiet achiever in Australia, the Japanese company that has often been ahead of the pack in design. Its Forester is a classic example, decades before SUVs became king the hill in sales in Australia, Subaru was selling all-wheel-drive station wagons. Forester was launched here in 1997 as a relatively mild looking station wagon but later morphed into a medium SUV in styling. In this used car review we pick up Forester from February… Read more

2018 SUBARU LIBERTY 3.6R REVIEW

You may not believe it, given the exploding popularity of SUVs, but mid-sized sedans still tickle the fancy of buyers who see no need for a utility vehicle that will never leave the bitumen. This remains an important segment for manufacturers and buyers in this country looking for a mid-size sedan are rather spoilt for choice. The Subaru Liberty, which last got a pep-up in 2016, has been given a few extra sparkles both inside and out with the Japanese manufacturer hoping it will be enough to entice buyers until… Read more

DRESSED-UP tS MAINTAINS SUBARU BRZ TRADITION

Faux aristocrats such as those who people places like TV favourite Downton Abbey don’t hold the exclusive right to dress for the occasion. Automobiles too have a long tradition of showing off what they are about. One example of this is the BRZ, Subaru’s iconic sports coupe. Born out of a relationship with Toyota by sharing clobber with the 86 to produce a modern motoring aristocrat of its kind. Now Subaru has thrown in new equipment all round but has come up with a new range-topping tS variant. For example,… Read more

SUBARU SUPERSTAR STILL HAS ALL THE MOVES

‘Move over, coming through’, might well be the thoughts running through the mind of a driver catching a WRX STI looming ever larger in the rear-view mirror. Yes, since the first generation set the standard in the late 1990s, the Subaru super sports sedan still has all the moves. Now, the WRX and WRX STI, the latter suffix alluding to Subaru Tecnica International, the company’s performance arm, have undergone a non-too major refit for model year 2018 with both mechanical and cosmetic upgrades. The all-wheel drive turbocharged twins share external… Read more

SUBARU LEVORG BLENDS STYLE WITH PERFORMANCE

The crew from Monty Python may well have had the Subaru Levorg in mind when they coined the phrase “And now for something completely different …” because there’s nothing else on the Australian market that can quite match this Japanese station wagon’s combination of stylish looks, high-performance, practicality and value. For starters it’s a station wagon which makes it something of a rarity in this SUV-centric era. Add the fact that it shares much of its underbody componentry with Australia’s favourite performance car, the Subaru WRX. About the only ugly… Read more

SUBARU BRINGS TEST DRIVES TO YOU

Want to test drive Subaru on your home ground instead of out of a Subaru dealership? Thus using it on roads that are very familiar to you. Then have a Subaru be brought to your home, work or anywhere else that best suits. At this stage it’s a trial program only, operating only in the Sydney metro area and is limited to potential buyers of Impreza or XV. If it proves successful Subaru, will expand it to other capital and non-capital cities, and to other models in the range. The… Read more

NEW SUV HAS SUBARU RACING INTO THE LEAD

It appears Subaru has backed a winner with the new XV, with sales of the small sports utility vehicle up 139.0 per cent for August, pushing the maker to becoming the fastest growing top 10 brand in the automotive industry, according to official VFACTS figures. Subaru took a gamble with the XV, stepping out of the square with its sharper looks over the soft-skinned majority of the segment and augmenting this with technology designed to take on conditions other soft-roaders could only dream about tackling. The second-generation XV comes in… Read more

2017 SUBARU XV 2.0i-S REVIEW

The Subaru XV has been a surprising charmer for the Japanese manufacturer, its distinctive looks and inherent sense of fun creating interest in whole new demographic. The latest version of the compact Subaru SUV aligns closely under the skin to the Subaru Impreza hatch and is looking to further improve Subaru’s growing market share in this segment. Offered in four variants with price-drops across the range, the XV starts at $27,990, and boasts a handy list of standard features. It challenges the Mazda CX-3, Nissan Qashqai, Honda HR-V and Toyota… Read more

SUBARU BRZ 2012 – 2016

2012 Subaru BRZ

Subaru BRZ is a small rear-drive Japanese sports coupe selling for a pretty reasonable price, particularly when compared with the cost of the typical European equivalents. The Subaru’s closest competitor is the Mazda MX-5. The BRZ is a full-on sportscar that’s simply delightful to drive, with true RWD handling, excellent throttle control and steering that talks to you. Just perfect for early morning Sunday drives on your favourite bits of road. It’s even fine as a daily commuter thanks to the precise gearshift and light clutch. The Subaru is offered… Read more

SUBARU WRX AND STI UPGRADED

Subaru WRX STI Spec R

Subaru WRX and WRX STI have both been upgraded for the 2018 season. Most changes are visual and some additional spec has been added to the lower cost models. Biggest news is the introduction of a new range topping model – the WRX STI spec.R, featuring Recaro seats amongst other items. There have been no mechanical changes as the already full-on engines and transmissions have proven more than adequate in the opinion of many owners. However, there’s an old saying that, “you can never have too much power” so perhaps… Read more