1998 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited Edition Black on 2040-cars

Auto blog

We're going to drive Subarus through Patagonia

Later this month, Chris McGraw and I are going on an adventure. We're heading to South America with Subaru to drive cars through the wilderness, including the gorgeous landscape of Patagonia. It'll sort of be like that Top Gear episode, just without, you know, all the bad stuff (we hope). Since this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we're doing a huge blowout of coverage, and we want to bring you along for the ride. From February 16-21, we'll be posting video updates and a ton of social media coverage, so be sure to watch the Autoblog site as well as our YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds for all of the latest sights and sounds from our amazing trip. Of course, we'll have a big feature story wrapping the whole experience up, after we get back and shake off some of the jet lag. We're stoked, and we hope you're just as excited to virtually come along for the ride. Stay tuned.

Is Subaru close to ditching 6-cylinder engines?

Despite niche outliers like the 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8 and 7.0-liter V8 in the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, we live in an era where small-displacement, turbocharged engines are becoming the norm. In many model lineups, a boosted four-cylinder now holds the place that a six might have just a few short years ago. At least in some markets, Subaru could be the next automaker to follow this path by axing its 3.6-liter boxer six-cylinder. Granted, that's not as much of a leap for Subie as some other automakers because the Japanese brand is already closely associated with turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The company's six-pot boxer is currently only offered in the Legacy and Outback in the US. Australian website CarAdvice spoke with Subaru deputy general manager of engineering Yoichi Hori about the company's future powertrain plans at least for Down Under. "Our research said the six-cylinder model is decreasing in the world. So that's why probably the future, many companies take the smaller displacement with a turbocharger, or diesel, or hybrid," said Hori to CarAdvice. He was also specific about which engine he had in mind. "In terms of the body size, a 2.0-liter with a turbocharger is enough, I think," he said. Hori said that the automaker stuck with the boxer-six for so long because of the turbocharged four-cylinder's higher maintenance costs. Slotting Subaru's 2.0-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder into the Legacy and Outback seems easy to imagine. After all, the mill already does duty in different tunes in the Forester and WRX in the US. Keep in mind, though, that Hori's words are aimed at the Aussie market. A rumor from earlier this year speculated the company's midsize models might get a smaller displacement six and the turbo four for some trims. Featured Gallery 2015 Subaru Legacy: First Drive View 35 Photos News Source: CarAdviceImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL Green Subaru Wagon Sedan turbocharging

Subaru confirms new Outback to debut in New York

Performance enthusiasts may think of the WRX and BRZ when the name Subaru comes to mind, but for many others, the brand is best associated with the Outback. The soft-road version of the Legacy (and the Impreza-based Outback Sport that preceded the XV Crosstrek) is a vital product for the Japanese automaker, which has now confirmed it's bringing the latest version to the New York Auto Show in just a couple of weeks from now. There's little to go on from the teaser image above (which you can click to enlarge) and the press release below, which says only that "The all-new Outback is Subaru's flagship crossover model which blends Car-like handling and SUV capability." And that much we knew already. It's safe to assume that, like previous versions of the Outback, the new model (which we recently spied undergoing testing) will be based closely on the latest Legacy, albeit upgraded with a higher ride height, lower body cladding and other off-roading enhancements. Watch this space for more. All-New Subaru "Outback" to Make World Debut at 2014 New York International Auto Show Tokyo, April 3, 2014 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the maker of Subaru automobiles, today announced that the all-new "Outback" (US specifications model) will make its world debut at the 2014 New York International Auto Show (Press day: April 16 and 17; Open to the public from April 18 through 27, 2014). The Outback will be unveiled at the press briefing scheduled for 10:55 AM EST on April 17 at Subaru booth following a speech to be made by FHI President & CEO, Yasuyuki Yoshinaga. The all-new Outback is Subaru's flagship crossover model which blends Car-like handling and SUV capability. The special site opens today at 22:00 (Japan time) on the Subaru Global Site. http://www.subaru-global.com/2014ny.html The site will feature information updates relating to the New York International Auto Show including Subaru's press conference.