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Subaru partners with Magellan for smartphone-based navigation

With tech in the air this week at the Consumer Electronics Show, Subaru announced that it named Magellan SmartGPS as its mapping partner in future Subaru vehicles – without putting an exact date on when that "future" will be. The appointment means that Magellan's smartphone-based cloud navigation, which works on both Apple iOS and Android, will port fully voice-guided navigation using constantly updated maps to the head unit in the car. Magellan already sells a standalone SmartGPS unit that you can buy from major retailers, and it can communicate with other wireless devices to find destinations and transfer directions. However, with the rise of smartphones and with major tech players becoming baked-in fixtures inside vehicles, the sales of portable navigation devices have gone into freefall - from 15.1 million units in 2008 to around 4.3 million units in 2019. The deal with Subaru helps Magellan continue to focus on its core strength. The caveat is that your car will need to have the Subaru Starlink system. It is included in some of the brand's vehicles, like the Impreza and the Crosstrek. On others it is a cost option - it's part of a $1,795 package on the Legacy, a $2,295 package on the Outback. The press release below can tell you more. Subaru Names Magellan Its Smartphone-based Cloud Navigation Partner Magellan SmartGPS Navigation to Power Future Subaru Vehicles Equipped with the SUBARU STARLINK Platform Powered by Clarion's Smart Access System Las Vegas, NV – January 4, 2016 – Magellan's SmartGPS navigation has been selected to be included with Subaru vehicles featuring the SUBARU STARLINK platform. The SUBARU STARLINK infotainment systems, available in Subaru vehicles, utilize Clarion's advanced Smart Access™ cloud connectivity platform to seamlessly sync and control cloud-based applications directly through the infotainment system's screen, providing immediate access to Magellan's SmartGPS navigation. Designed to support both Apple iOS and Android smartphones, the SUBARU STARLINK app brings continuously updated cloud applications to the vehicle's center stack display. Drivers can then access all STARLINK approved apps and services effortlessly, including Magellan's SmartGPS, allowing for safe access and display on the vehicle's touch panel. Magellan SmartGPS navigation will be available on future Subaru models.

Toyota updates 86 in Japan with this weird special edition

In their constant drive for perfection, Japanese automakers Toyota and Subaru have both announced some minor updates for their jointly produced sports car specifically for their domestic market. Both the Toyota 86 (known in these parts as the Scion FR-S) and the Subaru BRZ are getting a revised version of the electric power steering system they were designed with in the first place as well as a reworked suspension. The more intriguing news, though, is the strange restyling Toyota is offering on the 86 Style Cb edition. Ditching the aggressively angular front end of the existing model, this special edition gets rounded headlamps and an extended nose to give it a much less severe face. The Toyota 86 Style Cb is also being offered with an optional two-tone paint scheme and gets unique LED turning indicator strips, a special badge on the bulbous snout and revised interior trim. We'll chalk it up to a matter of personal taste, but as far as JDM specials go, this special edition isn't one over which we'll be terribly disappointed if it never makes it to US showrooms. We'll be sure to keep you posted if and when any of the mechanical updates make the trip across the Pacific, though. Related Video:

A mighty Outback breaks ground at Subaru's new USA HQ

Subaru is getting down to business at its new American headquarters. Announced just a year ago, the Japanese automaker just broke ground for construction of the new facility. And though it's moving from its existing location, the company is staying in New Jersey just as it has for nearly half a century now. The new facility is being built in Camden, opposite Campell's headquarters in a development spearheaded by the soup company. As part of the project, Subaru will relocate its current offices from Cherry Hill and Pennsauken to the new Camden headquarters, which will accommodate over 600 employees in one building with 250,000 square feet and another with 83,000 – more than double the size of its current headquarters. The distribution and training center, however, will stay put in Florence, NJ. The $118 million project is earmarked for completion by the end of 2017. The groundbreaking ceremony took place yesterday in front of an array of historic Subaru models. The earth itself was moved by a specially prepared yellow Outback wagon with a plow attached to the front. Subaru's decision to remain in Jersey comes in stark contrast to Mercedes' move out of the state and down south to Georgia. Other automakers with their North American headquarters in New Jersey include Volvo in Rockleigh, Mitsubishi (ironically) in Swedesboro, BMW in Woodcliff Lake, and Jaguar Land Rover in Mahwah. SUBARU OF AMERICA BREAKS GROUND ON NEW HEADQUARTERS IN CAMDEN, NJ Cherry Hill, N.J. - Subaru of America, Inc. today broke ground on its future home in Camden, NJ. The company plans to develop an all-new $118 million corporate headquarters in the city, and in doing so, maintain its corporate headquarters in New Jersey as it has for approaching 50 years. The automaker's new headquarters will be located adjacent to Campbell Soup Company's world headquarters. The Subaru of America campus will be the first new corporate headquarters in Knights Crossing, a master plan urban town center community, being developed by Brandywine Realty Trust. The ground-breaking ceremony featured a display of historic Subaru vehicles from the company's 50 years in the Delaware Valley, as well as a unique earth moving/groundbreaking ceremony conducted by a specially-produced Subaru Outback with an attached plow. Thomas J.