And its introduction...
And its introduction means the gloves are now off in the battle to be hot hatch king, as the car will go head-to-head with the forthcoming Ford Focus ST. Both are aimed at keen drivers, with VW desperate to address criticisms that the MkIV GTI was too soft for fans of the coveted original model.
There was no doubt as...
There was no doubt as to the star of Subaru"s stand at Tokyo...this amazing
gullwing-doored concept is the Hybrid Tourer, and it"s rumoured to point the way to a flagship coupe.
The concept uses a 2.0-litre
direct injection "Boxer" engine ò€“ mounted under the bonnet and driving
the front wheels through a fuel-efficient CVT transmission. Like the
Toyota Prius, it gets assistance from a 10kW electric motor when extra
power is needed.
A second electric motor sends 20kW of power
to the rear wheels ò€“ but only at low-speeds and when maximum
acceleration is required. The system also has a generator which
charges a set of lithium-ion batteries.
The layout is very
compact and with no rear driveshafts, Subaru has maximised rear seat
space. In additition to those gullwing doors, the dashboard also moves
up and down to give the driver an excellent view ahead.
Will it make production? Well, Subaru is planning a sister car to the Toyota FT-86, and it"s rumoured that the Hybrid Tourer will influence a new flagship model to sit above, occupying a place in the range vacated by the SVX.
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