...:: Days of Our Future ::...

If there's one automaker that refuses to mess with success, it's Subaru. The quirky Japanese company has stuck to its boxer engines and standard AWD for decades and has carved out a nice niche for itself. As the realities of the 21st century sink in, though, even Subaru must adapt. The Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept represents the first step.

Though it may appear like an over-stylized, Japanese market Legacy Wagon on the outside, it's what's underneath that counts -- Subaru's first hybrid drivetrain, which combines a pair of electric motors and a lithium-ion battery with the tried-and-true Symmetrical AWD and boxer engine. The pair of electric motors -- one mounted at each axle -- can propel the car at low speeds or assist in acceleration as well as act as generators to recapture braking energy.

Primary power will come from a 2.0L horizontally-opposed, turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder engine. Likely a variant of the EJ20, it is the automaker's first direct-injected engine and is said to offer improved fuel efficiency and performance and lower emissions compared with its port-injected counterparts. It is also the first application of Subaru's start/stop technology, which shuts down the engine when the vehicle is stationary. The engine sends power to all four wheels via Subaru's new Lineartronic CVT.

The 20 kW (27 hp) rear electric motor will propel the car at low speeds, and assist in acceleration and hill climbing. The 10 kW (14 hp) front electric motor acts as a generator to recapture brake energy and recharge the lithium-ion battery but will also provide additional propulsion for climbing hills. The Hybrid Tourer Concept's total output isn't known as Subaru has not yet released power numbers for the gasoline engine.

In addition to the hybrid drivetrain, the Hybrid Tourer Concept will also showcase Subaru's Eyesight + (plus) technology, which uses stereo video cameras to track potential obstacles in the car's path and assist in collision avoidance. Able to recognize everything from pedestrians to cyclists to other vehicles, the system constantly monitors their positions and paths and also monitors the car's blind spots. It can also act as a lane departure warning system and as active cruise control.

The Hybrid Tourer's interior features plenty of concept car showbiz. For example, the top of the dashboard can be moved up or down "to provide an optimal driving environment for the driver depending on driving conditions," whatever that means. Other tricks include special windshield glass that will reduce driver eye strain, new leather that's more breathable, ventilated seats and a flat rear floor despite the AWD drivetrain, although as it has only four seats, Subaru seems to have gone to lot of effort for minimal benefit.

On the outside, the Hybrid Tourer Concept looks more or less like a brand new Japanese-market Legacy Wagon that's been remolded into a sportier shape. A faster D-pillar and stylized tail lights recall the sharp rake and lenses of the new Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback, but look far more aggressive than the rear of the Legacy Wagon. In front, Subaru's new design language has been exaggerated, with deep vents around the fog lights, a gaping grille, a more pronounced hood bulge and sharper headlights. Subaru has ditched the traditional four doors in favor of massive and highly impractical gullwing doors that do away with the B- and C-pillars and allow easy access to all four seats.


You can forget the show-floor eyewash -- the real story is Hybrid Tourer Concept's powertrain, which is almost certainly destined for production Subarus in the near future. The Eyesight + technology is also likely for production, though don't expect it in U.S. market Subarus. We'll find out more when the Hybrid Tourer Concept makes its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show on October 21 and 22.

Source motortrend.com