Subaru is getting pumped up for the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. The Japanese automaker unveiled a new concept car called the Viziv Adrenaline at the Swiss event, with a more extroverted design than most current Subaru models.
With its jacked-up ride height and massive fender flares, the Viziv Adrenaline appears worthy of its name. While it looks a bit like a Subaru Crosstrek, the Viziv Adrenaline does not preview any specific production model. Rather, it shows off Subaru’s new “Bolder” design language, which will replace the current “Dynamic x Solid” language as the framework for future Subaru designs. So while the car itself won’t go into production, elements of its design will.
The Viziv Adrenaline has a more aggressive look than most current Subaru models, although the fender flares are just an exaggerated version of a design feature from the current Crosstrek. The contrasting roof is a neat touch that would be interesting to see on future Subaru production models. However, it’s unclear exactly what elements of the Viziv Adrenaline’s design will make the transition to production.
This concept car is the seventh in Subaru’s Viziv series, which dates back to the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. “Viziv” is a portmanteau of “Vision for Innovation,” although it sounds like the name of an alien race from Star Trek. Subaru’s 2018 Geneva Motor Show concept, the Viziv Tourer, never went into production. But at the time Subaru said the car’s styling indicated the direction it wanted to go with future designs. Between the Viziv Tourer and the Viziv Adrenaline, it seems Subaru is looking to take more risks with styling than it has in the recent past.
Subaru didn’t mention what is under the hood. The Viziv Tourer used Subaru’s typical boxer engine, working on its own to drive all four wheels, but other Viziv concepts have featured hybrid powertrains. Electrified powertrains are gradually trickling into Subaru production models as well.
Subaru recently launched a plug-in hybrid version of the Crosstrek, using powertrain technology borrowed from Toyota. Subaru needs hybrids to meet stricter global emissions standards but lacks the resources to develop hybrid powertrains on its own, hence the team up with Toyota. The two automakers previously partnered on the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 sports car twins.
Updated on March 5, 2019: Added photos and details from the Viziv Adrenaline’s Geneva Motor Show reveal.
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