Subaru Teases Its Future With Two New Concepts
Subaru is bringing two new concept vehicles to this year’s Tokyo Motor Show to show off the brand’s future direction.
The first concept teases what we will see in the next-generation Impreza Five-Door Hatchback while the second car, the Viziv Future Concept, aims to show off Subaru’s vision for green energy and safety technology.
Subaru is getting set to reveal a new platform that will underpin its entire lineup and these two concepts are the first to hint at what we will see when the new modular architecture is revealed.
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The new Impreza will likely be the first vehicle to arrive on the new platform and is expected to land in the U.S. sometime in late 2016 as a 2017 model. Subaru says that the car has a “dynamic and solid” theme.
Future technologies are packed into the Viziv Concept, including a next-generation small-displacement turbocharged engine mated to a hybrid setup. The electric motor provides power to the rear axle while the engine drives the front wheels, allowing all-wheel drive and torque vectoring. This setup allows the small crossover to have an entirely flat floor, maximizing usable space in the vehicle.
An intelligent traffic communications system is fitted to the concept that will allow it to send and receive messages from other vehicles and the surrounding infrastructure to help with automated parking, accident prevention and navigation.
Check back to AutoGuide.com on October. 28 for live coverage from the Tokyo Motor Show.
Discuss this story at our Subaru Forum
Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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As a former "Subaru loyalist" (have owned 5), I would've gotten behind new innovations re: energy conservation, but it's very difficult in light of how they've handled my 2013 Outback developing an engine "ping" after only 7,500k miles! They claimed it was a characteristic of the vehicle, even though there was a computer patch developed specifically for this so-called "characteristic".
Right now Subaru just has the mild hybrid XV Crosstek, which has TWO lead acid batteries in addition to the traction battery! I still don't know why they need 2 lead acid batteries when all the other hybrid and mild hybrid and electric cars just have 1 lead acid battery. I have a feeling they won't release a real hybrid with an Atkinson/Lean Burn ability engine until close to 2020.