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Subaru brings sportier XV, Legacy and Levorg concepts to Tokyo Auto Salon

'Tis the season of the auto shows, boys and girls. We just came down from the techno-fest that was CES, we're set for the start of the Detroit Auto Show, in the UK they're holding the Autosport International racecar show, and in Japan they just opened the Tokyo Auto Salon. And true to form, Subaru was on hand with a wide assortment of tuned machinery. Aside from the competition-spec WRX and BRZ we brought you a few days ago, Subaru also spruced up some of its production models for the street. One of the most intriguing was the Levorg S that gives us an idea of what the conceptual Legacy wagon would look like in STI spec, complete with the requisite blue paint, red trim and STI badges, but also a full aero kit, 19-inch BBS wheels and carbon-fiber trim, plus an interior with bucket seats, flat-bottom rim and all the fixins. The Japanese automaker also showcased a version of the Legacy sedan dubbed Blitzen, decked out in bright red with a similarly upgraded aero kit, 19-inch alloys and a two-tone interior. The XV Crosstrek that was recently launched on this side of the Pacific as a special edition in bright yellow rolled in to the Tokyo salon in the same shade, but with upgrades similar to those on the aforementioned Levorg and Legacy show cars. The XV Sport concept wears upgraded aero, 17-inch wheels and a complementing yellow-trimmed back interior. Also on display was an even less subtle WRX S4 customized by Prova, done up in white but with an outlandish body kit, 20-inch Enkei alloys and a dropped suspension, as well as the new Forester tS.

10 automakers shack up in Detroit hotel to talk Takata airbags

Since Takata has decided not to take the lead concerning potential issues with its airbag inflators, the automakers have. Perhaps that's unsurprising, since it's the automakers, not Takata, that will take a beating on the dealership floor if consumers decide its models are a health hazards. The Detroit News reports that Toyota, Honda, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru met in a hotel conference room near the Detroit Metropolitan Airport last week to sort out a way to understand the technical issues involved. So far, faulty airbag inflators have been ruled the cause of five deaths and 50 injuries around the world, but neither Takata nor investigators understands exactly why the inflators are malfunctioning. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently asked Takata to issue a national recall, Takata declined, citing a minuscule failure rate and the fact that it's still investigating the issue. Toyota and Honda then made an industry-wide appeal for "a coordinated, comprehensive testing program" that would pinpoint the problem inflators and get them replaced, and that's what the Detroit meeting was about. Numerous issues, however, will make this a long row to hoe: simply getting the parts to replace the nearly 20 million inflators in cars recalled around the world so far - even working with other suppliers - will take a years, but more importantly, no one knows if the replacement inflators currently being installed will suffer the same issue. Answers will hopefully come quickly with Takata, the ten automakers and NHTSA all independently investigating the problem.

2020 Subaru WRX Series.White Road Test | Making the case for an STI

For 2020, Subaru has launched another round of color-themed limited-edition WRX and STI models. They’re called Series.White, and, big surprise, come in a bright white paint scheme. TheyÂ’re also limited to 500 units a piece, and in the case of the WRX model we tested, it comes with a variety of performance upgrades including an exclusive Bilstein suspension. ItÂ’s an attractive model that makes a strong case in a vacuum, but itÂ’s a questionable value even against other Subaru variants. The 2020 Subaru WRX Series.White is basically a WRX Premium with the Performance Package, plus a few extra things. That means it has the Recaro power seats, Brembo four-piston front calipers and two-piston rear calipers, and no sunroof for weight savings. Specific to the Series.White is the aforementioned Bilstein suspension as well as the exclusive Ceramic White paint, dark bronze wheels, steering-adaptive LED headlights and LED fog lights. The price for all this is $34,895. ThatÂ’s just $1,450 more than the Performance Package-equipped WRX Premium, and youÂ’re getting exclusivity, a stylish color combo and ostensibly better suspension, so things seem pretty good starting out. The good feeling sticks around when you take the WRX Series.White out for a spirited drive. What really shines is the chassis and drivetrain. ItÂ’s solid as a rock and super responsive. Every little input from the fast, accurate steering gets an immediate and eager response from the car. It feels neutral on back roads, something helped by the all-wheel drive that has a splits power 50/50 front/rear and features a viscous limited-slip center differential. With minimal body roll and maximum grip, the WRX eggs you on, asking you to push it harder and faster through corners. And when itÂ’s time to slow down, the Brembo brakes provide excellent feedback and a solid, firm pedal feel. Speaking of pedals, theyÂ’re laid out nice and close to each other for easy rev-matched downshifts. Be careful of the clutch, though, as itÂ’s on the long side and has light-switch engagement, but works great when youÂ’re driving hard. And yes, the six-speed manual is the only transmission available. The engine is more of a mixed bag. With the same 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque as any other WRX, the 2.0-liter turbo flat-four puts up good numbers, but the delivery isnÂ’t great. At low rpm, it feels sluggish as you wait for the boost to build, and at high rpm, you can tell itÂ’s running out of huff.