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Mazda CX-5 named Japan's Car of The Year, Subaru BR-Z wins "Special Award"

The Mazda CX-5 stamped its Kodo design and SkyActiv technology authority all over the Japan Car of the Year awards, taking the top prize ahead of the Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT 86. It is Mazda's second victory in the last ten years, the 2005 MX-5 claiming the same trophy, and the fourth time the Hiroshima company has won.
The award is decided by 60 local "automotive experts and journalists," and open to any passenger car released in Japan from November 1, 2011 to October 31, 2012 that has sold more than 500 units. Each judge gets 25 votes, his or her top vote getting 10 points, the rest of the points being spread among the judge's choice for the next best four cars.
The second-place getters were the Toyobaru twins with 318 votes, the surprise being they didn't beat or get any closer to the crossover. The Subaru BRZ did claw some mojo back, earning the Special Award given to cars that have made "an exceptional impact." The BMW 3 Series was third overall and won the Import Car of the Year award with plenty of room between it and the second place Range Rover Evoque.

Subaru Global Platform shows us the bones of future models

Subaru will follow a current industry trend by introducing a modular chassis later this year, and the so-called Subaru Global Platform will underpin all of the Japanese automaker's future models. We'll see it first on the new Impreza, which will go on sale in the second half of 2016. Subaru claims its new platform offers 70-100 percent greater rigidity compared to the company's current models, and the stiffer chassis means less vibration travels through the vehicle to the steering wheel and seats, which results in an easier time for the driver. A 40-percent increase in impact energy absorption should also mean improved safety. Customers might experience a more exciting drive from the future Subarus, too. The company claims the new platform lowers the center gravity by 0.2 inches, which should sharpen handling. The engineers now mount the rear stabilizer directly to the body, which is said to reduce body roll by 50 percent over current models. It also supports hybrid, plug-in, and EV drivetrains to adapt to the future. After the Impreza lets us experience the Subaru Global Platform later this year, the company already has other models with it under development. For example, the XV Concept from Geneva hints at a sharper look for the next-gen compact crossover. The new WRX reportedly joins the range in 2017 and possibly gets an extra boost from hybrid power. A seven-passenger CUV also joins the US lineup in 2018. So much new product on the way could let Subaru keep up its brisk sales pace for years to come. Related Video: FHI Unveils the "Subaru Global Platform" - Subaru's next-generation platform to achieve significant enhancement in overall vehicle performance - Automobiles Data March 7, 2016 Tokyo, March 7, 2016 - Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, has unveiled an overview of the Subaru Global Platform, which is currently under development as the architecture to be used for all the Company's next-generation vehicles. The Subaru Global Platform is part of the six initiatives to enhance the Subaru brand described in the Company's mid-term management vision, "Prominence 2020," announced in 2014. Together with the horizontally-opposed engines, Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD), and EyeSight that represent Subaru's core technologies, the new platform will constitute the basic foundation of the next generation of Subaru vehicles.

2017 Subaru BRZ gets more power, optional Performance Pack

Most of the recent action with Toyobaru sports cars has centered around the Toyota side, which saw the Scion FR-S replaced by the updated and rebranded 2017 Toyota 86 for our market. Now, Subaru's version of the rear-drive coupe is getting a similar set of updates. It gets to keep its name, though. Like its Toyota-badged twin, the BRZ sees some engine updates – changes to the shared 2.0-liter, flat-four's internals are aimed at reducing friction. A new aluminum intake and a redesigned exhaust bump output up from 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque to 205 ponies and 156 lb-ft on manual-transmission models. To go along with that, the manual's final-drive ratio has been changed from 4.1:1 to 4.3:1, so there should be an improvement in acceleration. (Incidentally, this must have been Toyota meant when it said the 86 gets different manual gear ratios for 2017.) It's not the turbocharged engine some have been craving, but we can all agree that a little extra output is better than none. Those paying for the automatic transmission are left out, though. The Subaru has also gotten a small set of suspension updates. There are new springs and dampers, a larger rear sway bar, and some adjustments to structural braces to increase rigidity, so nothing too dramatic. Subaru has reprogrammed the stability-control system to allow drivers more freedom, which has led to a showy rebranding of the Sport mode to a new Track setting. A new option is the Performance Package, which includes Brembo brakes with upsized rotors fore and aft, new Sachs-branded shocks, and black 17-inch wheels. The Performance Pack is only available on Limited models with a manual transmission, further strengthening the argument against the auto. The Performance Pack also helps differentiate the Subie from its Toyota pal, as those items aren't available on the 86. There are some subtle aesthetic changes too, similar to those on the 86. (Noticing a pattern?) Subaru restyled the front and rear fascias, and added LED lamps at all four corners. Limited models come with a new 4.2-inch LCD display that sits to the right of the tachometer; in addition to mechanical info like oil temp, water temp, and battery voltage, it can show a G meter, a steering-angle indicator, gas/brake meters, and a stopwatch. The 2017 BRZ Premium and Limited will hit dealers in September. You'll have to wait until winter of 2017 to get your hands on a car equipped with the Performance Pack.