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Subaru offers glimpse of Viziv 2 Geneva concept

Subaru clearly sees something special in its Viziv crossover concept. After debuting it at last year's Geneva Motor Show and evolving it for the Tokyo Motor Show, the Japanese brand is bringing a Viziv 2 concept to this year's Geneva show on March 4. It also has a few other cards up its Swiss sleeve, too, as it has plans to display its new WRX STI road car and racecar for the Nürburgring 24 Hours this summer.
The third iteration of the Viziv gets reshaped boomerang headlights and new LED foglights, but that's all we know for the moment, because Subaru has only released a single teaser rendering along with a tantalizing claim that the showcar "signifies a future path" for the brand's next models.
The powertrain for the Viziv 2 is also still a secret. Both previous concepts used three-motor hybrid systems matched to continuously variable transmissions. In the first concept, primary power came from a diesel engine, while gasoline power was said to motivate the second evolution in Tokyo.

Subaru cuts annual profit outlook on strength of yen, typhoon impact

TOKYO — Subaru lowered its annual profit forecast on expectations of a stronger yen and the impact on production from a typhoon last month, driving its shares down as much as 4.5%. Japan's smallest major automaker, one fifth of which is owned by top-ranked Toyota, cut its forecast for operating profit to 220 billion yen ($2 billion) for the year ending March 2020, from a previous forecast of 260 billion yen. Subaru revised its forecast for the yen to average 107 versus the dollar over the period, from 110 previously. A stronger currency eats into profits because cars exported from Japan become more expensive and the value of earnings made overseas decreases. The United States is Subaru's biggest market, accounting for about 60% of overall sales. Typhoon Hagibis forced Subaru to halt production at its factories in Gumna, north of Tokyo, for more than a week in October due to supply chain disruptions. The stoppage, which lasted until Oct. 25, resulted in lost production of 11,000 vehicles, Chief Executive Officer Tomomi Nakamura told a briefing in Tokyo on Wednesday. Hagibis was the worst typhoon to hit Japan in decades, leaving at least 80 people dead, according to national broadcaster NHK. "We have restarted production, but we couldn't return to full capacity immediately," Nakamura said. "Some of our suppliers' factories were completely submerged." Subaru also said vehicle sales rose nearly 20% in the first half of the fiscal year compared with a year earlier, driven almost entirely by an improvement in the United States amid strong demand for the Forester SUV crossover. Subaru shares were down 1% at 3,102 yen by 0440 GMT, after touching a low of 2,995.5 yen earlier.

Subaru says Japan car output halted due to defective part

TOKYO — Subaru Corp said its sole car factory in Japan accounting for roughly 60 percent of global production had halted output a week ago after it discovered a defect in a component procured from a supplier. The Asahi newspaper first reported the suspension at the Gunma plant on Wednesday, saying the defect was found in the power steering component. A spokesman for Subaru says the problem affecting Crosstreks and Foresters was discovered early. None of the affected vehicles had reached consumers, and won't until they've been repaired. Perhaps 10,000 cars, maybe fewer, were intended for the U.S. market. Subaru, which exports the majority of its domestically made cars, could not say when production would resume. Production at Subaru's plant in Indiana was unaffected.Related Video: Plants/Manufacturing Subaru