Subaru Motion-V Plan Calls For 30 Percent Gas Mileage Boost By 2015

Subaru has taken heed of customer complaints that its lineup wasn’t as efficient as those of its competitors, making its latest generation 2012 Impreza return an impressive 27/36 mpg city/highway gas mileage.

Not only is the car still offered with the extra safety of all-wheel drive as standard, it also comes better equipped than the model it replaces as well as more interior space.

But it’s not just volume sellers like the Impreza that will be receiving such substantial upgrades.

Under a new, all-encompassing mid-term plan dubbed “Motion-V”, Subaru plans to enhance its entire lineup in the hope of improving gas mileage by 30 percent by the year 2015 while also improving safety, performance and technology.

As part of the plan, Subaru will bolster its lineup with the introduction of three new models in addition to a hybrid variant of one of its existing cars.

The automaker remains shy as to which model will be its first hybrid, though we do know that it will be launched in 2013, initially in Japan but in the rest of the world before the end of that same year. Industry rumors peg the model as the Legacy mid-size sedan, though a hybrid Forester is also a possibility. Subaru of America officials said off the record that while the technology is finished, no final decision had been made on which U.S. model would launch the new gas-saving hybrid system.

However, hybrid technology is only one pillar of Subaru’s Motion-V plan. Others will include drivetrain and vehicle body improvements.

Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1066604_subaru-motion-v-plan-calls-for-30-percent-gas-mileage-boost-by-2015

Subaru Working on 1.6- and 2.0-L Turbo Fours and Own Hybrid, Seeks 30 Percent Fuel-Economy Gain by 2015

At the Frankfurt auto show, we chatted with Subaru about its plans to drastically increase the fuel efficiency of its cars while maintaining their current levels of dynamics. The Japanese company says it wants to improve fuel economy across its lineup by 30 percent by 2015. New engines and revised transmissions will contribute to two-thirds of the increase, while lightweight body and chassis technology will provide the rest.

1.6- and 2.0-Liter Direct-Injected Turbos
Turbocharged, lower-displacement engines are today’s new hotness for achieving improved efficiency—Ford’s EcoBoost technology is the most marketed example—but for most companies, widespread turbocharging is new. Subaru, on the other hand, has extensive forced-induction experience and intends to put that knowledge to work. The new-for-2012 Impreza sedan’s new, naturally aspirated 2.0-liter flat-four is part of a new FB engine family (click here for a dive into the new engine), as is the Forester’s current 2.5-liter flat-four. While the 2.0-liter has boosted the new Impreza’s fuel-economy numbers significantly—the Forester saw only minor gains—Subaru plans to add direct injection (which we’re told nets a two-percent reduction in fuel consumption on its own) and turbocharging to the FB mix in the near future, both to the 2.0-liter and a new 1.6-liter variant.

Turbo BRZ? Maybe, but Not Yet
Ah, you’re thinking, this means a turbo version of Subaru’s sports car, the BRZ! While that hasn’t been explicitly ruled out—and we believe one is in the works—this isn’t a confirmation either. The engine in Subaru’s forthcoming coupe actually is codenamed FA, and exactly how it differs from the FB—likely only in its use of Toyota’s port- and direct-injection heads—isn’t known at this point.

Read More: http://blog.caranddriver.com/subaru-working-on-1-6-and-2-0-l-turbo-fours-and-own-hybrid