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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.

Woman thwarts car thieves by jumping on hood

When a pack of car thieves tried to steal a Milwaukee-area woman's car at a gas station, she didn't run for help. Oh no. She hulked out, jumped on the hood, and screamed her head off until the thief finally ran off. According to WISN, Melissa Smith was gassing up her white Subaru Outback at a BP station near Milwaukee's historic Third Ward on the afternoon of May 24. As she stood there pumping gas and minding her own business, a black Cadillac swung slowly around the front of the Subie and came to a stop just off the front left corner. As Smith turned her back to hang up the pump nozzle, a dude bailed out of the Caddy, crouched down, and snuck into the Outback's driver's seat. "I didn't see him till I saw him get into my car. Or someone was in my car, and had my, 'Oh, hell this isn't happening to me today' moment," Smith told WISN. As soon as she saw the thief in her car, Smith ran around the front then leaped on to the hood. She started yelling and pounding on the windshield as the thief tried to pull away from the pump, but he refused to stop. He tried a couple quick stops in an attempt to shake her off, but to no avail. "He looked at me, and he laughed at me, which really irritated me," Smith said. "He was laughing while I was on my car, and he was trying to throw me off, so zero remorse." Smith clung to the Subaru, shouting and pounding until the thief gave up. He abandoned ship, jumped back into the Caddy, and the group of thieves sped away. Unfortunately, when the thief bailed he left the Subie in gear with Smith still holding on for dear life. "Then I had to chase my car into the street and stop it before it hit somebody else," Smith said. Thankfully, Smith was unharmed in the incident, but the crooks got her purse, phone, wallet, and sunglasses. Milwaukee police are still looking for the suspects, who they say stole the black Caddy before trying to steal Smith's Subaru. Related Video: News Source: NBC News, WISN Auto News Weird Car News Cadillac Subaru Crossover Sedan carjacking milwaukee

Just add power | 2017 Subaru Impreza First Drive

The phrase "all new" gets bandied about way more than it should in the automotive world. Depending on how lenient an automaker's marketing department is feeling at the time, refreshed fascias and a reshuffling of trim levels might earn a tired vehicle the all-new appellation. That's not what Subaru has done with its reborn Impreza compact. Everything from its wheels to its windows has been completely redesigned for 2017. With one glaring exception, the 2017 Subaru Impreza has benefited immensely from its rebirth. The chassis is stiffer, the steering is better, and the interior is larger than before. Like on most Subarus, standard all-wheel drive remains a key selling point. The only thing that's missing is more power. Subaru has gotten guff over the years for its exterior design, with vehicles being called everything from ugly (Baja) to odd (B9 Tribeca). The 2017 Impreza doesn't fit those descriptions. There's just enough surfacing pressed into its bodysides to attract the eye, and the burly flared-shoulder fenders add a muscular stance. Dead-on, the Impreza's face is a bit too nondescript – if it didn't wear a Subaru badge, you'd be forgiven for mistaking it for a Honda or Toyota – but it's not unattractive. The bug eyes of Imprezas past are now nothing more than a historical footnote. The Impreza is again available as either a sedan or, for $500 more, a hatchback. The trunk of the sedan measures 12.3 cubic feet. Obviously, the hatch offers more utility than the sedan, with 20.8 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and a maximum of 55.3 cubes with the seats folded. That's more than the VW Golf's 52.7 and way more than the new Honda Civic hatchback's maximum of 46.2. The first thing we noticed from the driver's seat is how easy it is to see out of the 2017 Impreza. Visibility is excellent in every direction, and all that glass means the cabin feels light and airy. Large, easy-to-read speedometer and tachometer gauges sit front and center, but the rest of the information needed for the task of driving is spread across three different LCD screens. The first sits between the two gauges, and the second is atop the center stack. The third screen is the largest, measuring 6.5 inches on base 2.0i models and 8.0 inches in Sport and Limited trims.