Subaru planning modular platform, seven-seat SUV, plug-in hybrid

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles isn't the only big name in the auto industry releasing details on its future plans.Subaru, and its parent company Fuji Heavy Industries, is aiming to bump its North American sales up from 478,000 to 600,000 by 2020. Now, that seems pretty reasonable, especially in the face of FCA's hugely ambitious goals for Alfa Romeo and Maserati. It's how Subaru will go about increasing the sales, though, that has us intrigued.

A focus on more fuel-efficient, direct-injection engines will complement a new platform, while the company is contemplating expanding capacity at its Indiana factory, which will now have more room since Toyota Camry production will be ending there.

As for that new platform, it's called the Subaru Global Platform. Original, we know. It's a modular deal and will eventually underpin a vast range of future Subies following its debut in 2016. The new platform may also end up underpinning a seven-seat SUV, which would serve as the successor to the Tribeca and debut between 2016 and 2020, according to Automotive News.

The direct-injected engines, meanwhile, would debut around roughly the same time as the new Tribeca. Cylinder deactivation could also appear, while AN reports that thermal efficiency is being given a big look, which could hint at an Atkinson-cycle engine powering future vehicles. A plug-in hybrid is also a very strong possibility, which also lends credence to AN's theory on the Atkinson cycle. While this focus on efficiency and emissions is admirable, it won't go so far as to disrupt the brand's heritage – Subaru has given no indication that it's ditching its trademark boxer engines.

News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.

First Look at the New for 2015 Mazda Miata

It’s official. Mazda will introduce an all-new version of its nimble MX5 sports car later this month at the New York International Auto Show- and, no matter how hard Mazda’s product planners want us to call it the MX5, we’re going to call this new Mazda what it is: the new Miata.

Speculation surrounding the 2015 Mazda Miata has been steadily leaking out in recent months. For example, (we think that) we know that the new car will use a version of Mazda’s next-gen, ultra-clean SkyActiv power trains. We know that the basic hardware of the new Miata will also underpin a reborn Alfa Romeo Spider that will undercut the hotly anticipated Alfa Romeo 4C when it heads to US shores, which will happen sometime after the Miata establishes a beachhead. We know it will continue to be a front-engine, rear-drive sporty roadster built to honor the spirit of the original Lotus Elan. We also knew, thanks to a leak at Mazda and Carscoop’s willingness to enrage the OEMs, that it would look something like this …

… which looks pretty good to me.

Mazda has dropped more clues as to how its 2015 MX5 (née, the 2015 Mazda Miata) will look when it is officially unveiled later this month- and it doesn’t exactly share the new 3′s corporate face, either. At Geneva, Mazda’s chief Miata designer, Peter Birtwhistle, told the guys at AutoExpress UK that the new, 2015 Miata will be “more masculine” than the current car. “If I had to describe it in one word,” said Birtwhistle, “it’d be ‘edgy’. I think it will be a surprise for people … It’s a tight, edgy little car that is going to appeal to a broader range of people. We know the clichés about the MX-5 as it gets older, but this will position it differently. I think it’ll attract a lot of young guys.”

So, there you have it. If you want to attract a lot of young guys, the 2015 Mazda Miata is going to be the car for you. Or, you know, you could just wait for the Alfa Romeo version, which is expected to look like the Duetto concept, below …

… which first bowed back in 2012.

We’ll be able to see how much what we thought we knew turned out to be known in a few weeks at the NY Auto Show. That’s when the 2015 Mazda Miata debuts for real (or so we’ve been led to believe), and we can start pining for a new-age, base-model track rat of our very own.

Sources | Photos: Carscoops

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Gets New Diesel, Could Dodge Dart As Well?

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta has added a powerful new 2.0 liter turbodiesel engine, and corporate cousin the Dodge Dart should be in line for a diesel as well. With the success Chrysler is having with the sales of other diesel models, an efficient and torquey diesel compact could give struggling Dart sales a much-needed jolt. It’s a no brainer, but I’m not sure it’ll happen soon enough.

The Giulietta and Dart share the same platform and engines, though the trio of optional motors in the Dart seems redundant and unimpressive to most reviews. However, Chrysler and Fiat are committed to bringing diesel engines to America, and so far sales are mounting at an impressive rate. In the first three days of 2014 Ram 1500 sales, over 8,000 orders for the new EcoDiesel model were placed. A 28 MPG highway rating in a full-size pickup can do that.

From the sounds of it, the new 2.0 liter turbodiesel in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta has everything the Dart needs; 173 horsepower, 258 ft-lbs of torque, and fuel economy over 53 MPG on the European testing cycle. In America it’d work out to more like 45 or 46 MPG, which would put the Dart at the top of the compact heap in terms of fuel efficiency, and it’d also be among the most powerful compact cars as well. Right now the Dart’s most powerful engine is a 1.4 liter MultiAir turbo engine delivering 160 horsepower and 184 ft-lbs of torque, which just doesn’t make for a very fast ride. 0 to 60 MPH in the fastest Dart takes  about 8.2 seconds, while the turbodiesel Giulietta manages the same sprint in just 7.8 seconds.

But if Fiat’s plans to bring Alfa back to America after decades of absence goes through, the Dart might be starved out while the Giulietta gets all the good stuff. There’s been no mention of a Dodge Dart SRT, nor of adding a diesel engine under the hood. I mean, it makes sense to me, but what do I know? I’m just one of those people with a bull’s eye on my back that the Dodge Dart marketing can’t seem to hit. And forget anything electric; the only EVs Fiat is building are the ones it has to build.

LED taillights and big touchscreens are nice, no doubt, but I’m one of those rare fools who gives a damn what’s under the hood. The Dart is a good looking car to me, but it lacks the oomph to back up its sporty styling, and there’s an awful lot of overlap between the three optional engines. A torquey, efficient diesel would help the Dart stand out in a crowded segment, and it sounds like the kind of cake I could keep and eat at the same time. Ya dig?

Source: Alfa Romeo

Introducing the Alfa Romeo LPG Powered MiTo

The Alfa Romeo LPG MiTo






Here is yet another great alternate energy vehicle. The hits keep coming!

From newcarpark.com:

The Alfa Romero MiTo is already an incredibly popular brand of car in Europe, but the Alfa Romeo LPG-powered MiTo may take that popularity to a whole new level. Powered by liquid petroleum gas, which is a hydrocarbon fuel that emits 19 percent less carbon dioxide than oil, the new model seems to be the answer to many environmentalist’s dreams. The dual-fueled LPG model has a 1.4 liter engine and thanks to the LPG-fuel feature, it benefits from being tax exempt in most European countries.

The LPG-fuel model reduces carbon dioxide emissions down to an amazing 131 g/km, while at the same time keeping the sexy look and speed that made the other models so popular. The Alfa Romeo LPG-Powered MiTo has 120 horsepower and can reach 100 km/hr in only 8.8 seconds.

What makes this vehicle so amazing is that it can run, non-stop, for an unbelievable 1,200 kilometers thanks to the 39-liter LPG reservoir that sits in the spare tire well. Not too bad for a vehicle that has the top speed of 198 kilometers per hour!

Currently priced at Euro13,900, but keep in mind that the vehicle is tax-exempt because it is environmentally-friendly and helps to fight global warming. The LPG model was made in conjunction with Landi Renzo, which is a company located out of Italy that produces autogas and compressed natural gas kits for cars.

The Alfa Romero LPG-powered MiTo is helping to break apart the image that to have an environmentally-friendly vehicle, you need to drive a van powered by manure. The world is changing and car manufacturers in Japan and Europe are seeing this. Now vehicles that are both sexy and fast can be environmentally-friendly as well. The Alfa Romero LPG-powered MiTo does not sacrifice anything in order to be environmentally-friendly.

Hopefully manufacturers elsewhere in the world, especially the United States, can see the example that the Alfa Romero LPG-powered MiTo has set and learn from it.