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| Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept The idea: pair Subaru's traditional four-wheel-drive layout and boxer engine with a gasoline-electric hybrid system. The resulting Hybrid Tourer Concept will be Subaru's centerpiece at the Tokyo Motor Show. Fuji Heavy is weighing the benefits and costs of the Hybrid Tourer as it looks for ways to improve the Subaru fleet's fuel efficiency. The Japanese carmaker has fallen behind rivals such as Toyota Motor Corp. in rolling out hybrids and is trailing Nissan Motor Co. in the pursuit of electric vehicles. A new-generation 2.0-liter, horizontally opposed, direct fuel-injection engine -- turbocharged to boot -- helps the Hybrid Tourer deliver the improved mileage. So does a new Lineartronic automatic transmission and stop-start technology, which turns the engine off when the vehicle comes to a halt and turns it back on when the driver's foot lifts off the brake. Subaru envisions the hybrid system having two motors, one for the rear wheels and one for the front. It would be all-wheel drive and powered by a lithium ion battery. Subaru showcases its strategy for an environmentally friendly powertrain employing a hybrid system mated to a high-performance, clean-burning gasoline engine. Drivetrain: Two electric motors, 2.0-liter direct fuel-injection turbo boxer engine Who designed it: Subaru design team under Osamu Namba What's cool: Has an electric motor on each axle for all-wheel hybrid drive Will it be built? Maybe. Subaru wants a hybrid in its lineup by 2015 |
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