Sydney Show Subaru Forester S-Edition Study Hints at Sportier Production Model

At the 2010 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, Subaru unveiled the Forester S-Edition, a concept study that points to a new Forester variant for 2011. Built on the existing turbocharged Forester XT, the S-Edition produces an additional 32 hp and 20 lb ft (24 kw and 27 Nm) over the Australian market XT's 227 hp and 236 lb ft (169 kw and 320 Nm) lifting the 2.5-liter boxer engine's output to 259-horsepower.

A flappy-paddle 5sp automatic gearbox, revised sports suspension and Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) all-wheel drive round out the mechanical package, whilst new styling and comfort features including STI sourced 17-inch alloys, Alcantara interior trim and drilled alloy pedals help further differentiate the S-Edition from the XT.

Subaru Australia's Managing Director is quite pleased with the Forester S-Edition concept: "We're delighted and honoured that Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) have chosen Sydney for the worldwide unveil of this Forester concept. It points towards an exciting development in our Forester range early next year." he said.

At the time of writing, the Forester is Australia's best selling compact sports utility vehicle, with its major rival - Toyota's RAV4 - trailing close behind. Carscoop will have more information on the possible production model variant of the S-Edition study as we get it.

By Tristan Hankins

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Subaru UK Presents 2011 WRX STI, Drops Impreza Name from Halo Model, Introduces Sedan Version

Subaru's UK arm has decided to make the WRX STI its own standalone model for 2011, dropping the "Impreza" reference from the road-going rally car's name. As in other markets, the UK's STI will again be available in sedan and five-door hatch variants and pack a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine making 300 horsepower and 407 Nm / 300 lb ft of torque.

For 2011, the UK's STI will get Subaru's "spec. C" suspension setup featuring a lower ride and wider tires wrapped around lighter wheels. Other than that, the car hits 100 km/h [62 mph] from standstill in 5.2 seconds, has a top speed of 158 mph [254 km/h] in sedan form, and meets Euro 5 emissions standards.

In Britain, the 2011 WRX STI will begin adding options at £32,995 for either the 4- or 5-door version. We're not sure yet if the "Impreza" name will be dropped from Subaru's halo car in other markets, but it could be a possibility as Fuji Heavy Industries' all-wheel drive automaker tries to revise its lineup.

An STI as a pronounced representative of the Subaru brand would be a bold move for a brand that has gone from unique and interesting to boring and non-competitive [WRX / STI models aside, of course] over the past few years.

By Phil Alex

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Subaru Revealed Behind 2011 Mediocrity Marketing Hoax; What do you Say Kia?

As some of you pointed out, Subaru was the culprit hiding behind the week-long 2011 Mediocrity campaign, which showed a beige-cladded first-generation Kia Optima in a scoop-like series of photos. Upon looking at the first set of images that arrived in our mailbox (read here), we knew that this was some sort of devious viral marketing campaign.

It is true that these type of campaigns can be rather cheap and yet extremely effective. However, they can also backfire. And in our opinion, that's the case with Subaru's effort to promote / convince us that the latest Legacy is the opposite of the so-called 'beige' mid-size sedans.

We assume the creators of the campaign believed no one would figure out that the car buried under all that beige makeup was an older Kia Optima.

Mark this down as a big mistake, because once we found out, we were bound to make a comparison between the Legacy and the forthcoming 2011 Kia Optima (and not of course, its decade-old predecessor...).

And in our book, at least, in what concerns the looks department, the new Optima makes the Legacy seem beiger than Japan's beigest beige...

Now, wouldn't it be interesting if Kia responded with a 'beige' answer / commercial to Subaru's campaign?

Link: 2011 Mediocrity Sedan

______________________2011 MEDIOCRITY SEDAN______________________

___________________________________________________________________

_______________________2011 SUBARU LEGACY_______________________

____________________________________________________________________

__________________________2011 KIA OPTIMA__________________________

____________________________________________________________________

__________________________2004 KIA OPTIMA__________________________