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2019 Los Angeles Auto Show | Autoblog Podcast #605

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder and Associate Editor Zac Palmer. This week, the main topic of discussion is the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show. Of course, they've gotta talk about the Ford Mustang Mach-E — and its questionable naming scheme. They also run down some other L.A. show highlights including the Toyota RAV4 Prime, Kia Seltos, Lexus LC 500 Convertible and Audi RS Q8. Then they talk about the cars they've been driving: the 2020 Chevy Silverado with the Duramax diesel engine and the 2020 Subaru Legacy Touring XT. Autoblog Podcast #605 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown L.A. Auto Show 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E (and here's a little more about the name) 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime 2021 Kia Seltos 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible 2020 Audi RS Q8 2020 Chevy Silverado Duramax 2020 Subaru Legacy Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Subaru BRZ tS returning for 2020?

Last year Subaru rolled the special edition BRZ tS onto the market, the tS standing for "tuned by STI." Although the mad men at STI didn't inject more go into the 2.0-liter boxer-four with 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque, they did apply the whetstone to the BRZ to provide sharper edges for that power. Subaru only offered 500 examples for sale in the U.S., part of the coupe's regular cadence of special editions. CarsDirect discovered the model listed in the EPA's fuel economy listings for the 2020 model year, though, leading all to wonder if the tS will make a return next year.   If it does come back, we can expect STI to make this new take at least as good as before. Exclusive kit on the 2018 version included strut tower braces upgraded with pillow-ball joints, draw stiffeners for the front suspension, STI-tuned springs and Sachs dampers, Brembo brakes, and lightweight 18-inch wheels in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber. Aero-wise, front and rear underspoilers worked in tandem with a manually adjustable rear wing in raw carbon fiber. Drivers could keep up with the additional dynamic prowess via the multifunction performance display lifted from the BRZ Limited. The 2018 BRZ tS cost $34,355, about $2,000 more than the Limited trim at the time, in return for the extra tuning, larger wheels, and better tires.  According to the EPA, the 2020 BRZ tS and its six-speed manual will return 20 miles per gallon in the city, 27 on the highway, and 23 combined. That's a drop of one mpg in the city and on the highway, two mpg combined, compared to the standard coupe with a six-speed manual. When CarsDirect queried Subaru, the spokesperson made no denials, only attributing the difference in fuel economy to the larger wheels and stickier rubber. For anyone considering the 2020 Toyota 86 Hakone Special Edition available later this year, now you have a choice to make.

Subaru plans to electrify entire range by the middle of the 2030s

Nipping infinite rumors in the bud, Subaru confirmed the Outback, the Forester, the BRZ, the WRX STI, and every other car it makes will go utilize some form of electrified powertain or disappear by the middle of the 2030s. The Japanese automaker announced it plans to kick exclusively gasoline-powered cars out of its global portfolio in about 15 years' time. The announcement comes in the wake of ever-stricter emissions regulations around the globe, notably in China and in the European Union. The firm isn't going to turn the tap off overnight, though. Toyota owns an 8.7% stake in Subaru, and the two partners are jointly developing a pair of electric cars due out during the 2020s. Others will inevitably follow. By 2030, hybrid and electric models will represent at least 40% of Subaru's annual global output. In the meantime, Subaru is funneling an immense amount of money into adapting Toyota's hybrid technology to its vehicles. The gasoline-electric variant of the Crosstrek introduced in 2018 a product of this collaboration. Executives outlined plans to release a "strong hybrid" again built with Toyota parts, though they stopped short of providing more details. They also stressed their goal isn't to achieve mere badge-engineering. "Although we're using Toyota technology, we want to make hybrids that are distinctly Subaru. It's not only about reducing CO2 emissions. We need to further improve vehicle safety and the performance of our all-wheel drive," affirmed Tetsuo Onuki, Subaru's chief technology officer, during a briefing Reuters attended. His comments suggest all-wheel drive will continue to define the members of Subaru's range in the electric-only era. The configuration has been one of the brand's strongest selling points for decades, and it helped it grow from a niche brand peddling obscure cars to a major mainstream automaker in the United States, so giving it up would be marketing suicide. The horizontally-opposed engine is Subaru's second signature, it's what the C-shaped daytime running lights seen on its cars are inspired by, but Onuki confirmed it will no longer be the only way Subarus are motivated.