2016 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Sport Limited Wagon 4d on 2040-cars

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Subaru XV Concept is our first glimpse at the next Crosstrek

Subaru debuted a pair of Impreza concepts at last year's Tokyo and Los Angeles shows – one, a five-door hatch, the other, a sedan. But the Impreza range also includes the lifted Crosstrek, known as the XV in other markets. So at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Subaru presents our first official glimpse at the next-generation, high-riding Impreza, by way of this XV Concept. Details are few – what you see is what you get. The XV definitely has a more butch take on the sedan and hatchback concepts that came before it, in keeping with the Crosstrek's ethos. The concept rides on 19-inch wheels which surely won't make it to production, and we expect some sort of boxer four-cylinder engine to drive power to all four wheels. View 12 Photos All in, the XV Concept looks pretty good. But Subaru has a long history of making attractive concept cars that don't quite carry their beauty over to production. Even so, the current Crosstrek has a sort of rugged handsomeness to it, so here's hoping something similar happens when this concept eventually transforms into a production model next year. "Subaru XV Concept" Makes World Debut at 2016 Geneva International Motor Show Tokyo, March 1, 2016 - Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, today unveiled the Subaru XV Concept at the 2016 Geneva International Motor Show. The Subaru XV Concept is a design concept car that embodies Subaru's next-generation DYNAMIC X SOLID design philosophy in a compact crossover model. Its compact body features Subaru's DYNAMIC X SOLID design elements, the powerful form of a crossover, and a quality feel beyond its class – previewing the design direction of the next-generation Subaru XV*. Main Features of Subaru XV Concept The front, sides, and rear are seamlessly joined in the DYNAMIC X SOLID surface structure, creating a three-dimensional and solid body that is a feature of Subaru styling. The dynamism is enhanced by well-placed character lines on the compact body shape. The design expression of "Enjoyment and Peace of Mind", the value that Subaru provides to its customers, is fully pursued within the limits of the compact crossover model body size. In the area of functionality essential to a Subaru car, excellent aerodynamic performance is teamed with the ample road clearance and luggage space required of a crossover vehicle, achieving blend of function and style.

Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.

Subaru SVX to be resurrected with hybrid power?

Salt. Get the salt. A new report out of Australia is claiming that Subaru is working on a new SVX. Yes, seriously.
Now, this is not feasible for a pair of huge reasons. First, the demand for a two-door Subaru, as we've seen with the BRZ, has not been tremendous. Second, the original SVX was a pretty horrible seller. Could the world be ready for a revival, though?
According to an unnamed source that spoke to Motoring.com.au, the reborn SVX will be based on the Viziv 2 Concept that was shown at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, but it will be a considerably more aggressive design, arriving as a low, wide shooting brake. According to the Aussies, the reborn SVX would ride on a new Subaru Global Platform, which will underpin the next-generation Tribeca, because of that platform's support for hybridization.