Subaru auto news

Video: Subaru eschews Super Bowl for doggy ads

If we had to pick a Super Bowl advertising shtick that we're most susceptible to, it might just be dogs. Especially if they are driving cars.

But this is one ad campaign you won't actually see during the Super Bowl. Subaru will be holding its second annual Subaru Game Day Dog Walk instead, wherein owners pledge on Facebook to, well, walk their dogs. While we don't really want to think about what would happen if they didn't, Subaru sees value in appealing to animal lovers. Some 70 percent of Subaru drivers are pet owners, according to the company.

Subaru has also launched two social networking app as part of its marketing effort: Dogbook for Facebook and MapMyDOGWALK.

Do we even need mention that this is a brand that shares a nickname with a TV cartoon dog?

All four commercials and the press release are after the jump.

Continue reading Subaru eschews Super Bowl for doggy ads

Study: NADA: Dealers most happy with Hyundai, Subaru and Lexus

The National Automobile Dealers Association conducts its Dealer Attitude Survey twice each year, and results from the summer survey are in. Hyundai stayed on top for the third time in a row, followed by Subaru, Lexus, Kia, and Mercedes-Benz. The survey measures three factors: "franchise value, automaker policy decisions that affect the dealership and the automaker's field staff who visit dealerships."

Sixth place went to Toyota, while Volkswagen, Porsche, and Audi followed. Cadillac and Honda tied for tenth. NADA received responses from over 14,700 dealerships, representing almost 54 percent of all dealers nationwide.

Click past the jump to read the full press release.

Continue reading NADA: Dealers most happy with Hyundai, Subaru and Lexus

Video: Aha Radio coming to 2013 Subaru BRZ

Subaru and Honda have shacked up with Aha Radio to bring streaming Internet tunes to your vehicle's cabin. According to Engadget, the system is expected to show up as an option on the 2013 Subaru BRZ. Users will need to have the Aha Radio app installed on their iOS or Android smartphone. The system then uses the device's data connection to stream the application straight into the head unit via Bluetooth or a USB connection. Information like pre-selected favorites and station preferences will be displayed and accessible via the built-in touchscreen interface.

Drivers will also be able to command the app using steering-wheel mounted controls, which is always a plus. Engadget says the user interface is workable enough for daily life. The site was able to get a brief data connection while on the floor at CES - just long enough to flip though a few stations and make a quick video. Hit the jump to check it out for yourself.

Continue reading Aha Radio coming to 2013 Subaru BRZ

CES: MOG comes to Aha Radio. Aha Radio comes to Honda, Subaru. Here's why it matters.

Pandora may be becoming a standard on every major OEM infotainment system, but all-you-can-eat subscription music services haven't gained the same momentum or widespread adoption. MOG is aiming to change that with automotive partnerships with BMW and Mini, but its just-announced tie-up with Aha Radio extends MOG's reach even further, and it has wider implications - not just for the on-demand music service, but for Aha Radio as a whole.

The partnership with Aha Radio (now owned by Harman) is just the first of several MOG will be announcing in 2012. Aftermarket companies like JVC are also implementing the music service into their head units, but what's more important is the usage of Aha Radio as the method of delivery.

Rather than going to an automaker, getting approval to use its application programming interface and then developing an app that only works with one infotainment system, MOG is integrating its service into Aha Radio, which delivers a range of content - from restaurant information to Facebook feeds - into a single app that's ported and controlled through your in-dash touchscreen.

So Aha Radio is the platform - a one-stop conduit for content - and MOG, NPR, CNN, Twitter, Facebook and others deliver the substance.

Both Honda and Subaru have announced partnerships with Aha Radio and plan to integrate the service into their factory head units beginning this spring. But you don't need to buy a 2013 Subaru BRZ (pictured above) to get in on the action. Kenwood will join Pioneer to begin offering Aha Radio on its head units later this year. and even better, Aha Radio runs and integrates with both iOS and Android devices, so there should be no need to worry about connectivity issues. Hit the jump for the all the details.

Continue reading MOG comes to Aha Radio. Aha Radio comes to Honda, Subaru. Here's why it matters.

These are your top 10 worst-selling vehicles of 2011

Where there are winners, there are inevitably losers. Last year was exceedingly kind to big pickups, sprawling family sedans and SUVs, but not every model came out of 2011 with big sales figures. We took the time to dig through the low-selling models of the past 12 months to find out which vehicles produced throughout the year were the biggest duds. Since we aren't interested in how few Lamborghini Aventador models rolled off of dealer lots in the U.S. in 2011, we kept the MSRP under $100,000.

Our criteria immediately nixed vehicles like the Mazda RX-8, Volvo V50, Ram Cargo Van and everything in the Saab stable due to the fact that those models weren't manufactured through all 12 months of 2011. High-end metal like the Mercdes-Benz SL, CL and G classes were also kicked to the curb due to our price ceiling. Which was the worst of them all? We'll give you a hint. It wasn't the Acura ZDX. Hit the jump to check out our list of the worst-selling vehicles of 2011.

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Official: Subaru promises BRZ, Impreza STI concepts plus rally return at Tokyo Auto Salon

Unlike most cities, Japan's capital city plays host to two major automotive exhibitions: the Tokyo Motor Show and the Tokyo Auto Salon. While these terms may be interchangeable when it comes to European expos, in Tokyo, they connote two different shows altogether. The first is the Motor Show, where new concepts and production models are unveiled by the world's automakers. The Auto Salon is more of a tuner expo along the lines of the SEMA show in Las Vegas. So after Subaru made its long-anticipated splash at the Tokyo Motor Show with its new BRZ, now it's heading to the Salon with some modified versions.

First up is a version of the BRZ Concept STI, packing some prototype carbon-fiber components, suspension upgrades, Brembo brakes and more. Subaru has also teamed up again with aftermarket tuner Prova (which shares its name with the traditional license plates carried by prototypes in italy) for a BRZ Black Edition. And you can bet there will be a handful or two of other tuners eager to show what they can do with the new rear-drive sports coupe, as well.

Subaru itself will also be showcasing an upgraded Impreza called the G4 STI with all manner of performance enhancements, and will, at long last, announce its return to a number of different motorsport disciplines. The Super GT300-spec BRZ, which we already know about, will be displayed alongside the Legacy-based racer it replaces. But there will also be a WRX STI that's slated to be fielded at the Nürburgring 24, and Subaru will also be announcing its return to professional rally competition, though not the World Rally Championship series it left years ago, it will contest the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Follow the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Subaru promises BRZ, Impreza STI concepts plus rally return at Tokyo Auto Salon

Video: Driver launches car, crashes through roof of business

Police in Santa Fe, Texas are currently searching for a man who catapulted his Subaru WRX through the roof of a local business. Police say 20-year-old Roy Morales was traveling around 90 miles per hour at two in the morning when he blew through a dead-end street and crossed a set of raised train tracks.

The tracks sent the vehicle airborne over a distance of 100 feet before the car came crashing through the roof of a local septic business. Realizing he had both literally and figuratively found himself in a world of crap, Morales fled the scene and later called the police to report his vehicle stolen.

At that point, police were able to coax a confession from Morales, who now faces potential charges ranging from reckless driving to false reporting of a crime. Morales has yet to actually turn himself in.

Michael Robinson, the owner of Gulf Coast Aerobic Services, says Morales' stunt inflicted around $25,000 worth of damage, but that he's grateful no one was hurt in the incident. That includes the would-be stunt driver. Hit the jump to watch a local news report.

Continue reading Driver launches car, crashes through roof of business

Review: 2012 Subaru Impreza

Subaru found itself in an interesting position when the North American auto market imploded back in 2009. While most manufacturers were busily darting about trying to stop their sales from bleeding out, the quirky Japanese automaker actually posted gains in both market share and earnings during the recession.

It was a dark time for most dealers. Salesmen began eying the fairest compacts on their lot for sacrifice in an attempt to appease the sales gods that had abandoned them, and showrooms began devolving into tribal law in earnest. Meanwhile, we're guessing many Subaru dealers watched through gold-rimmed monocles from across the street with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

But what happens when the national financial ship rights itself and social order is restored once again? Will buyers still shun emblems of excess and continue to opt for practical, economy-minded Japanese all-wheel-drive wagons and compacts? If the 2012 Subaru Impreza is any indication, the company may be concerned its products aren't quite mainstream enough to retain conquests acquired through the dark days of '09. The 2012 Impreza is more comfortable, quieter and offers a more attractive interior than ever before, but those gains come with sacrifices that risk alienating the model's longtime fans, ourselves included.

Continue reading 2012 Subaru Impreza

First Drive: 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek

There are stories in every culture about a young man or woman who is supposed to marry someone sensible, attractive, a good cook and good provider. But when the protagonist of the story meets the would-be fiancee's more interesting, vivacious, funny and unconventional sibling or best friend, sparks fly and the original relationship doesn't stand a chance.

And so it was when we drove the 2013 Subaru XV through the roads and highways of Tuscany. On Day One, we drove the version the U.S. will get in the third quarter of next year. The first thing to hit us: déjà vu. This is the 2012 Impreza hatchback, albeit with cladding above the wheel wells and a a seriously jacked up stance. It will have the same, brand-new 2.0-liter flat-four as the Impreza hatch we tested a few months ago that is just hitting dealer lots. So what's the verdict? The XV can cook an acceptable pot of tomato sauce and cleans up nicely for Sunday mass. She's a nice girl and good company.

We should have left it there. We should have called it a test after Day One. We should have simply driven off with the girl we came to meet. Why? Because on day two of our drive, we met the cousin with the better personality, the longer legs, the Sophia Loren cheekbones and the killer personality: the 2.0 liter turbo-diesel with the manual transmission. We drove her through the winding back roads north of Florence amidst the Chianti vineyards, villages and Fiat fix-it shops, but she refuses to come to the States. You see, she will only date Europeans.

Continue reading 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek

Report: Next-gen Subaru WRX targeting downsized 2.0-liter four that's upsized to 270 hp

WRX. Those three letters tell automotive enthusiasts the world over that they are not dealing with an ordinary Impreza, and it all began in rally racing with a 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine. Though some models - including the current WRX and STI in the United States - had engines displacing as much as 2.5 liters, the WRX earned its reputation with 2.0 liters, and that's the displacement specified for competition use.

According to Motor Trend, the 2013 WRX, which will likely debut sometime in 2012, will go back to its original engine size. The new powerplant will reportedly be based on the engine found in the 2013 Subaru BRZ, a clean-sheet design for Subaru, with the addition of the expected turbocharger. That ought to bring power up from 200 horsepower to about 270.

Now we come to the question of what platform in which the engine will reside. While common sense would dictate that the latest version of the Impreza, which was recently released as a 2012 model, would get the WRX treatment, we've heard rumblings that Subaru would keep its current WRX shell around for a few more years while it continues development of the next chassis. Only time will tell.