► Subaru’s future tech revealed
► Fuji showcases new platform
► Boxer engines, 4wd here to stay!
Subaru’s parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, has given us a sneak peek at the next generation of its engineering architecture. Every single one of the Subarus in the pipeline will be based on this new Subaru Global Platform, starting with the next Impreza due in late 2016.
All will feature the characteristics we’ve come to expect on Subarus: horizontally opposed boxer engines and all-wheel drive. Cause to celebrate, in an age when so many models are dumbed down to the common lowest denominator.
So what technology can we expect on future Subarus?
Subaru has spelled out its goals for the new architecture, which is flexible and modular enough to underpin every new model through to 2025:
- Comfort The new platform is said to be unusually stiff, letting the suspension do its stuff. Body roll is halved compared with today’s models
- Handling Torsional rigidity improved by 70-100%. And the centre of gravity is 5mm lower than before, benefiting handling and pointiness
- Safety High-tensile steel in the chassis contributes to 40% better energy absorption in an accident
- Electrification No boxer engines here – the new Subaru engineering platform will be able to accommodate batteries and electric motors too
- Flexible The new architecture means that different bodystyles can be built at the same factory more easily
The big boss speaks
Fuji president Yasuyuki Yoshinaga said: ‘The Subaru Global Platform lifts Subaru’s automotive technology to new heights, and marks the next step in the evolution of ‘Enjoyment and Peace of Mind’, the value that Subaru offers to its customers.
‘This new platform represents the culmination of the know-how we have developed over many years, and we are confident that it will allow us to produce vehicles that live up to our proud traditions and meet the high expectations customers have of Subaru.
‘We continue to work on designing ever-more attractive vehicles that offer the customer both enjoyment and peace of mind.’
Read CAR magazine’s latest Subaru reviews