Subaru recently became the first automaker to receive back-to-back “Sport / Utility of the Year” awards from Motor Trend. Even more impressive is the way they did it. In 2009, the Subaru Forester topped all other SUVs - in part because gas prices were out of control and the Forester’s 16 mpg rating was the best option in an AWD SUV (full report here). Now Subaru has won the same award with a totally different vehicle - the 2010 Subaru Outback.
Any time ten or more experts get together to review a group of similar vehicles, you’re going to get a lot of differing opinions. It’s hard to believe that when the dust settled, the ‘10 Outback outpaced 13 other SUV contenders by a vote of 10 to 1. That is a landslide, and it will be interesting to see if Subaru can make it a three-peat. (You can watch a 12 minute video clip of the Motor Trend SUV of the Year competition below.)
While Subaru may be winning awards for cranking out great sport utilities, they are years behind many of their competitors in offering a hybrid-electric car, truck or SUV. Fortunately for those of you who can’t get enough of vehicles from Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (Subaru’s parent company) there is news (AutoNews.com by subscription) that hybrids will be coming soon. And even though we haven’t heard much about Subaru going green in the past, the fact that Toyota owns more than 15% of Fuji Heavy means that the Subaru brand should have instant access to the most well tested hybrid technology available.
In an interview with Auto News editor Hans Greimel, Ikuo Mori (Fuji Heavy president) had the following to say about Subaru pursuing hybrids. “We will develop our hybrid system by making good use of Toyota technologies. We don’t have any plan to develop a dedicated hybrid model like the Toyota Prius. We will use models from our lineup. The system will be introduced when the model is changed or redesigned. All-wheel drive is our core technology. To make full use of such core technology in our hybrid vehicle, a hybrid awd system will be necessary.”.
Then later at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, Mori told Greimel that the first Subaru hybrid would be available in 2012. He added that the vehicle will help the automaker meet the more stringent U.S. fuel economy standards that will be enforced beginning in 2016. What we don’t know is if or when the hybrid will be available in the United States, which model will get the drivetrain, or if this will be an all-wheel drive hybrid.
Subaru seems to be doing a lot of things right lately. They are bucking the trend so far in 2009 with a 10% increase in sales over last year (while rivals are down 27%). Although it would have been nice to get a hybrid Forester or hybrid Outback announcement - any green Subaru will be a welcome addition to the planet. Now we have to wait patiently for Mr. Greimel’s next meeting with Mr. Mori.
I say: Too bad.
Prior to the initial launch, Subaru looked seriously, and even strongly hinted, that they would bring their new boxer diesel sold in Europe to the states. I kept hoping that this would happen, but it appears that the idea is now all but dead.
As an owner of a rapidly aging Outback, I am dissapointed by Subaru’s very slow adoption of hybrid technology. They own this demographic and are missing the boat both in $$$ and doing the right thing in not leading with an AWD hybrid. The Highlander is overpriced and the Escape is not worth it’s sheet metal. Particularly with their relationship with Toyota this does not add up. I am considering my options and waiting till 2012 does not seem like the best one at present.
Just wish that Subaru would come back to its roots and design a 1.8 - 2.0 litre Station wagon or Forester with FT FWD and a 4×4 option, better if Subaru would offer a TDI-like deisel.
North-American regs may not be conducive to this latter idea but if not, what are they waiting for on bringing in smaller (2.0) engines, as they now offer in Europe? Please get greener.
I just keep on waiting for one of the small SUVs to be offered in hybrid or diesel version that get high MPG. I am astounded that no one has done that yet! 30 MPG! Is that the best we can do?? Very disappointing. These cars would sell like mad.