I remember the first time I took my father-in-law for a blast in a WRX. It was the Club Spec Evo IV and it was the year 2000, or thereabouts. “Are you ready?” I asked, preparing to floor it on a long straight. He nodded. Wooshda! “Geez!” he managed, holding tightly to the armrest as he was forced back in his seat. Tony’s dead now but nothing much has changed since those days 25 years ago. The WRX – it’s just the WRX these days – is still one of… Read more
Let’s be frank. Subaru’s first, fully-electric vehicle, the Solterra is basically a rebadged Toyota bZ4X. Named for the sun and earth, it’s the second collaborative effort by the two car makers after the Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ sports coupe. Unlike the coupe, however, which is powered by Sooby’s boxer engine, you’ll struggle to find anything uniquely Subaru about the Solterra. The junior partner in the relationship, Subaru reportedly had input into the car’s safety and all-wheel drive systems. The mid-sized, five-seat SUV went on sale in mid-2022 in Japan, US, Canada,… Read more
With Latin roots – sol (sun), terra (earth) – Subaru’s first all-out electric vehicle has drifted Down Under like a mild weather front, bringing none of the ICE(Y) blasts of the fossil-fuelled internal combustion engine; just the electric motor hum, passenger cabin serenity and zero emissions. Built on an entirely new e-Subaru Global platform, the maker set out to combine the electric powertrain with a low centre of gravity and the company hallmark Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive to deliver a uniquely satisfying mid-size electric SUV. The new Subaru EV comes in… Read more
Orders are being taken for Subaru’s first all-electric vehicle the Solterra. But it ain’t cheap, priced from $77,990 plus on-roads, with two grades to pick from. With two electric motors, one for each axle, Solterra delivers 160kW of power and 337Nm of torque, and has a range of 414km (WLTP). The 71.4kW battery can be charged from 20 to 80 per cent in as little as 30 minutes with a 150kW DC charger, while a single phase 7kW home charger takes seven or eight hours. Solterra is another vehicle that… Read more
Subaru Australia has announced details of the latest (sixth generation) version of its ever- popular Impreza small hatchback. Three variants are available: 2.0L, 2.0R and 2.0S priced at $31,490, $34,990 and $37,990 respectively. The all-new Subaru Impreza boasts a proven direct injection 2.0-litre Boxer engine, with an eight-speed Lineartronic transmission and paddle shift manual mode. Synonymous with Subaru, Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) is standard for all Subaru Impreza model variants. It’s mounted to a refined Subaru Global Platform which delivers a further ten per cent increase in torsional rigidity which… Read more
Crosstrek is the smallest of Subaru’s three SUVs, sitting below the mid-sized Forester and larger Outback. It competes against vehicles such as MG ZS, Mitsubishi ASX, Kia Seltos and Mazda CX- 30. While the name is new, Crosstrek has actually been on the Australian market since 2012 as the XV. Five Crosstrek variants are offered: 2.0L, 2.0R, 2.0S (petrol), plus Hybrid L and Hybrid S, with prices ranging from $34,990 to $45,090 plus on-road costs. Our test was in the top-spec Hybrid S. As with all Australian Subaru models, except… Read more
‘Haven’t we met somewhere before’ sprung to mind on my first encounter with the Subaru Crosstrek, for there is a lot in common here with the company’s XV sport utility vehicle? In fact, says Subaru, the newly named compact is the latest iteration of the popular XV, including two petrol / electric hybrid models, aimed at anyone who wants a versatile, reliable, and stylish small SUV. Priced from $34,990, the all-wheel drive Crosstrek comes in five variants – AWD 2.0L, AWD 2.0R, AWD 2.0S, AWD Hybrid L and AWD Hybrid… Read more
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its arrival here Subaru Australia has released special editions of its Outback, Forester and WRX vehicles. Those with very long memories may recall the Subaru 360 and 1000 cars back in the 1960s but these were imported by specific dealerships prior to Subaru Australia’s formation in 1973 as a national importer with its nationwide dealer network. Early models included the 1400 GSR sedan, DL sedan and wagon and GF two-door hardtop but the brand’s breakthrough came in 1978 with the arrival of the 4×4… Read more
After all these years, I still think of the Subaru Outback as a wagon rather than SUV — the Forester too. Unfortunately, you can’t buy a diesel Outback anymore, but the latest turbocharged petrol version certainly addresses any perceived deficiencies in performance. And, like a fine wine, Outback continues to get better with age. Its one major gap in an otherwise impressive repertoire remains the fact that it seats only five. In fact, Subaru hasn’t offered a seven-seater as part of its range since the propeller-nosed Tribeca in 2013. But… Read more
Japanese vehicle maker Subaru has been at the forefront of all-wheel-drive vehicles for many decades. Indeed, it produced nothing other than all-wheel-drives for many years. The only Subaru that isn’t driven by all four wheels is the BRZ sportscar, which was a joint venture between Subaru and Toyota, with the latter being a called the Toyota 86. Five variants are offered: Outback, Sport, Touring, Sport XT and Touring XT. The first three are powered by the traditional 2.5-litre engine, the XT models get a new 2.4-litre turbocharged unit. Our test… Read more
