By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
-Colin
My guess is we'll see one in calendar year 2002, with only a different engine - the 212hp 3.0l from the LL Bean model.
It won't have the sporting feel of the RS, though. They'll serve different purposes.
lucien: saw that, too. Subaru will use the flat 6, but GM will use a V6 mounted transversely (all Soobs are longitudinal). Wouldn't it be funny if GM used the Honda engines they're supposed to purchase?
They called them "larger Foresters", just what I've been asking for. I wonder if it'll be SUVish or more like the Outback.
Have to wait until 2004 or 2005? Oh boy.
-juice
PS Interesting point, Colin.
-juice
-mike
Now, how's that for food for thought?
Bob
Bob
Let's see, it could be an Impreza-based roadster with the turbo engine. Nice and light, manual top, totally impractical. I'll have mine in metallic blue!
OTOH, they could make it a touring coupe, more like a Legacy sedan but with two doors and all the stuff from the VDC.
Nah, fight the TT with the smaller turbo.
-juice
A true touring/sports car... Well ahead of it's time.
I've been in one @ 145mph, sticks to the road like it's doing 75...
-mike
Question: Would Subaru do this with the current platform, or wait to do this on a new redesigned model? The term "launched" is used in this press release, which leads me to think it might indeed be a new redesigned Forester.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/000815/t93769.html
Along this line of thought, there has been much speculation that the new mid-size Subaru/GM SUV, to be "launched" around 2004/5, might replace the current Forester.
I think that would be a big mistake. The current Forester, which is based on the smaller Impreza, has a very valid role to play in Subaru's model lineup. Yes, I wish it were a bit larger than it currently is. But I also think that a larger Outback-based SUV, sized like that of the new Toyota Highlander, can co-exist very nicely with a slightly smaller Forester.
Bob
The new SUV will be bigger, H6 powered, and have a 3rd row seat, so pricing will likely be upper 20's to lower 30's. So it would not even overlap with Forester pricing.
More domestic content is OK, I just hope they use quality suppliers. Frank is visiting from Atlanta and we mat for happy hour yesterday, and he was describing how his Malibu's HVAC system worked in reverse: defrost gave air to the dash vents, and vice-versa. Oh boy.
Though that may also mean they'll build it in the Lafayette plant. At least quality there is good.
-juice
If you add two more cylinders to the 2.5L H-4 engine, you end up with a 3.8L H-6, that puts out 247 HP & torque.
In my opinion, that would be the perfect engine for the new larger Subaru SUV being designed in conjunction with GM.
I think the new 3.0 H-6 would be borderline, in terms of performance, with the larger (heavier!) Subaru. I'd be very surprised if this weighs less than 4000lbs. The larger 3.8L would be better suited for a vehicle of that weight.
Also...
If Subaru introduce a new Forester in 2003, that means they will have two new model introductions for that MY: The Forester and the Outback-based pickup.
If that's the case, I would assume Subaru would stagger the introductions, by as much as perhaps six months. I would assume also that the Forester's introduction would be first, since it is an established model, and would be facing much stiffer competition than it currently does, and would be more in need of a quick update.
I would also expect the new Forester to look very similar to the current model. The change in look would be very evolutionary. I think most of the changes will occur under the skin. I would expect to see the new H-6. I would expect it to be a bit roomier inside. I would also "hope" that Subaru would focus a bit more on the "Utility" aspect of this vehicle by adding the dual-range tranny, offering a bit more ground clearance, along with slightly larger tires -- and offer a Class II towing package.
Bob
Thanks for the interesting news story. My guess is that the 2002 Forester would be based on the new Impreza platform due out later this year. The 2004/5 launch sounds like it would be based on a new platform perhaps unique to the Impreza or Legacy.
It would be easier for Subaru to introduce a large H-6 engine. The current one was designed to take up no more space than the existing H-4 2.5L. They probably could simply increase the bore and stroke and further increase output -- that's exactly what Subaru did to create the Phase I 2.5L DOHC. It simply was a "bigger" 2.2 H-4.
-mike
Keep something in mind: they can't really increase the bore and keep the same block, because the space between the cylinders is already too tight. Bigger bore would mean a whole new block, which I why I doubt that will happen.
I do agree about the new Forester, though, and that it will appear before the ST-X. Look how early the 2001 showed up.
It'll have 2" more wheelbase, 3" more length, 2" more width, and the H6 for low-to-mid $20's.
-juice
Juice, your measurements on the next Forester sound about right. I do hope they can price it to compete with the new Escape and Tribute.
Bob
-mike
5.8 liter, 362 hp MB.
Is that right?
Drew: don't some Japanese Subaru boxer engines employ varialbe intake valve timing? They're close to full VVT, then.
H12? Nothing comes to mind. I thought only Porsche/VW and Subaru did boxers, and I've only seen 6s.
-juice
PS Finally saw that Car review today, with the Forester S Turbo. Sure enough, they slammed the Volvo XC, and though they liked the Allroad they said they'd take two Foresters and still have enough left for 10 years of insurance!
V12s to my knowledge.
-Colin
PS for those wondering, JDM = Japanese Domestic Market. aka 'what we don't get here'
"Official" photos of the new impreza from FHI are on this site (also has the link to the FHI test site)
-- ash
Well, I think I'll get used to the look. The red one looks okay, maybe because of the larger wheels. The wagon's rear end looks rather Forester-ish!
WRT the Legacy, those 5-spoke wheels look much nicer, IMHO, than the GT wheels that we get in North America.
This ain't your daddy's "Mustang 5.0"
The routine service costs must have been astronomical! Especially because the engine had to be REMOVED to get to the spark plugs --the sides of the engine are right up against the sides (and back wheel wells) of the car!
Hmm, I'm not sure how I knew that =p
Dave
-mike
I'll take one of those WRX wagons. The rear hatch is style over function, though, with a swoopy angle that reduces capacity.
The GTB wagon looks nice!
Hmm, Dave's in Cali, but if you're coming to the DC area I'll save some freebies for him.
-juice
Not that it's UGLY or anything. In fact, I bet it's got a lovely personality....
Randy
AVCS is also available on their 2.5L DOHC engine that's used in the Forester T/25. It produces 167 ps@6000RPM and 24 kg-m of torque @2800RPM.
For anyone who is interested, Subaru of Japan has put up a website to cover the upcoming WRC in Finland:
http://www.subaru.co.jp/links/of_sport.htm
-juice
-B
I've always felt that the current Impreza looks much worse in photographs, than it does in person. The "New Age" Impreza looks much better in photographs than does the current Impreza look in photographs. I think we will all be pleasantly surprised when we finally see it in the flesh.
Bob
Bob
She doesn't want a Legacy class car, since she is small and therefore wants a small car.
-juice
Frank
The bright red that was available on the Legacy GT has been replaced with a deep Winestone, which was available last year on the "L" model.
Also, the Outback Limited wagon (not sedan) is now available in that beautiful Wintergreen. Last year Wintergreen was available only on the base Outback.
Bob
Bob
My dad may get one of those Wintergreen OBLTDs.
-juice
Unfortunately the SoA database records are miscoded and selecting specific models returns no records. You must specify "Legacy (All)" to return any records. Unfortunate #2 is: the displayed records don't indicate the model (GT, L, OB). Looks like someone in IT goofed.
..Mike
..Mike
Thanks for the clarification on the H-12.
Mike-
Welcome back! Yes, I did see some 01 Outbacks. I didn't see 48, but I did see a number of them. They may have gotten a new shipment since I was there.
Bob
I guess we are in good company.
-mike
..Mike
..Mike
Mike: bigger front brake rotors, and the dual trip odo and outside temp gauge.
The rear LSD is now standard on the Outback, though it looks like the all-weather package (now sans the LSD since it's standard) price did not change. That makes the base Outback a bargain.
-juice
PS If it costs so little, why not make the rear LSD standard across the board?
Bob
The GT only gets the intermittent wipers.
Clearly they're aware the OB is their money-maker.
paisan was right about the Impreza. They came out with a 2001 Impreza on the current platform, which means the new one will be a 2002 or 2001.5, probably 2002.
So by rule, they cannot sell any before January 1st, 2001.
The L line is up $100, the RS is up $200. But the RS gets the carbon fiber trim and a CD player standard, so effectively it's a better value.
Still, knowing the turbo will arrive, I'm not sure they'll sell too many 2001 RSs.
-juice
..Mike
..Mike
-juice