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Subaru Viziv Evolution Concept looks strangely familiar

The Tokyo Motor Show has proven to be far deeper and more interesting in 2013 than it has been in recent years, surely a trailing indicator of the revived auto industry in Japan and throughout the world. Still, we have seen a few concept cars that have been nearly 'recycled' from shows earlier in the season.
This Subaru Viziv Evolution concept is a case in point - it looks not unlike the Viziv Concept that the company hauled over to the Geneva Motor Show in March of this year. What gives?
Well, the original Viziv wrapped its sexy crossover-coupe bodywork around a powertrain composed of a 2.0-liter diesel engine and three electric motors, two of which powered the two rear wheels (another trendy hybrid setup). This new "Evolution" of the Viziv is not dissimilar from its progenitor, swapping in a small displacement gasoline-powered engine for the diesel unit. All of this is based on reports out of Tokyo, mind you, as official information on the car is scarce at the moment.

2018 Subaru Crosstrek improves on an already winning formula

There's a brand-new Subaru Crosstrek on the way for 2018, and the European version, known as the XV, is making its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. There's every reason to expect the new Crosstrek to be a stunning sales success. In 2016, Subaru sold 95,677 Crosstreks in the United States, easily besting models like the WRX, Legacy, and the Impreza upon which it's based. Those sales represented a 7.6 percent gain over the previous year, which is especially impressive considering that the Crosstrek is very much starting to show its age. The mini-crossover inherits all the benefits of the latest Impreza, including a stiff new chassis that promises drastically improved driving dynamics. Following in the footsteps of the larger Outback, which is based on the midsize Legacy, the Crosstrek adds a bit more ground clearance and aggressive off-road-lite styling to the compact Impreza hatchback. Don't expect the Crosstrek to tackle the Rubicon Trail – Subaru says it will have "excellent rough-road capability" – but do expect it to sell in droves in areas that get significant amounts of snow. View 15 Photos A 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine delivers 154 horsepower to all four wheels through a continuously variable transmission. We generally prefer traditional stepped-gear transmissions, but Subaru has a history of keeping its CVTs pretty well behaved. Seven pre-programmed gear ratios can be selected by the driver in manual mode. A quick 13:1 steering ratio, active torque vectoring technology, and a lower center of gravity will all deliver dividends on the road, and 8.6 inches of ground clearance mean hard parts won't scrape the ground when the paved roads come to an end. All new Crosstrek models will come standard with EyeSight, a safety system that includes pre-collision braking control, adaptive cruise, and lane-keeping assistance. Blind-spot detection, lane-change assistance and reversing assistance will also be available. Expect more information to filter out soon, and stay tuned for live photos when we hit the show floor in Geneva. The US-spec Crosstrek will make its debut in April at the 2017 New York Auto Show. Related Video:

California adapts ZEV mandate with PHEVs for smaller automakers

California is the nation's largest market for zero-emissions vehicles with over 100,000 of them estimated to be on the roads there. The state's goal is to keep that number growing every year. To that end, the California Air Resources Board is now tweaking its rules in a way that might not boost ZEVs but could mean more plug-in hybrids for the Golden State. Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Volvo asked for an exemption to the state's zero-emissions vehicle mandate last year due to their relatively small development budgets compared to larger automakers. CARB denied their request but did craft a compromise, according to Automotive News. Rather than being required to offer a ZEV in the state, companies with an annual global revenue of less than $40 billion, like those in this group, may instead sell plug-in hybrids to earn ZEV credits. The companies aren't completely off the hook, though. If these plug-in hybrids don't earn enough credits, the corporations must buy them on the market to make up the difference. Automakers with popular electric models like Nissan and Tesla have made a big business through this trading system by selling their surplus to rivals. Tesla alone pocketed $51 million in the first quarter from this part of its business, according to Automotive News. The changes to the regulations also aren't set in stone, yet. CARB is meeting in 2016 and could adjust things further at that time. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Government/Legal Green Jaguar Land Rover Mazda Mitsubishi Subaru Volvo Emissions Electric Hybrid California zev credits zero emissions vehicle