Subaru may go big on a BRZ-based hybrid, mid-engined, all-wheel drive sports car

By Miles Branman March 10, 2016

subaru-sti-performance-concept-8-970x647-c — Subaru STI Performance Concept

We’ve been waiting a while to hear whether Subaru will in fact make an STi version of the BRZ sports car, but if the latest rumors prove true, we’re in for something far better than just a jazzed-up BRZ.

Car and Driver is citing insider sources that say the Japanese automaker is testing a mid-engined sports car at the Tochigi proving grounds in Japan. Not much is known about the mystery prototype but the bones are reportedly that of a BRZ, and joining a turbocharged boxer engine are two electric motors.

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The gas engine sends power to the rear wheels while the electric motors drive the front wheels — much like Acura’s new NSX. The four-wheel drive setup plus a torque vectoring function sounds like a recipe for one heck of a track-stomping whip. Subaru is planning to introduce a sports car concept based on the prototype to gauge customer interest before it decides whether to make a production version or not. If it decides to greenlight such a vehicle it will undoubtedly be the highest performance consumer Subaru to date.

Speaking of production, the new vehicle would likely ride on the brand’s Subaru Global Platform that was just introduced this week. The gas engine should be a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder and when mated to the electric motors will make upwards of 330 horsepower.

You might think a halo model is a bit out of the blue, but Subaru is having incredible sales success lately and a new sports car icon could be just what the company needs to transcend its current position in the market. With an expected one million vehicle sales for the first time ever this year, Subaru is putting its entry-level rivals on their heels in almost every one of its segments.

Subaru may have a lot in common with established players like Honda in terms of the diversity of its model range before long.

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Nissan wants the 2023 Ariya to be its comeback EV, but the bar has been raised

Front view of the 2023 Nissan Ariya.

Nissan played an understated role in the modern era of electric cars. While Tesla gets most of the attention, the Nissan Leaf became the first modern mass-market EV when it launched in December 2010. But Nissan has squandered that early lead. The Leaf remains a decent car, but Nissan needed to follow it up with another model, specifically an SUV, that would appeal to more car shoppers. That’s where the 2023 Nissan Ariya comes in.
The Ariya is the long-awaited sequel to the Leaf, boosting updated tech, better performance, and an SUV body style to match current trends. But during the Ariya’s long gestation (it was originally supposed to launch in 2021), other automakers have come up with electric SUVs of their own. So while it was once a leader, Nissan must now follow the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6, among others.
Pricing starts at $44,485 (with destination) for the base Ariya Engage trim level with front-wheel drive and the smaller 65-kilowatt-hour (63-kWh usable capacity) battery pack. Pricing rises to $61,485 for the top Platinum+ model with all-wheel drive and a 91-kWh (87-kWh usable capacity) pack, but all-wheel drive models won’t arrive until after the front-wheel drive models. Nissan hasn’t discussed plans to assemble the Ariya in the U.S., so it likely won’t qualify for the revised federal EV tax credit.

Design and interior
If it had launched even two years ago, the Ariya would have looked cutting-edge. Its rounded exterior surfaces make a nod to aerodynamics while still preserving the SUV look buyers love. It’s a nice-looking vehicle too, but so are the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6, all of which have gone on sale since the Ariya was announced in 2020. Nissan is no longer a trendsetter, but the Ariya can at least claim a more SUV-like feel than those other EVs, in both its tall profile and high-and-mighty driving position.
More significant than the styling, though, is that the Ariya rides on a new EV-specific platform. In contrast to the Leaf, which shares some of its structure with gasoline cars, engineers could take full advantage of the efficiencies of an electric powertrain and maximize interior space. Like certain other automakers, Nissan also opted out of a frunk in order to maximize passenger space, moving components like the air conditioner under the hood to make more room in the cabin.
Rounded surfaces nod to aerodynamics while still preserving the SUV look buyers love.

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We need more 7-passenger EVs, but the 2023 Mercedes EQS SUV has room to improve

Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.

Mercedes-Benz is continuing to expand its EV lineup, this time with a model aimed at (wealthy) families.
As the name states, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is an SUV derivative of the EQS sedan. With the EQS sedan positioned as the electric analog to the Mercedes S-Class, the EQS SUV is the electric version of the GLS-Class. And like that vehicle, the EQS SUV is available with up to seven seats across three rows.
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The EQS SUV looks like a melting scoop of ice cream.

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