TOKYO — Subaru will swoop in to the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show with a striking gullwing Hybrid Tourer Concept that straddles the gulf between sex appeal and a commitment to green values.
Parent Fuji Heavy Industries isn't saying whether this four-passenger concept will ever see the light of a showroom. It describes the Hybrid Tourer as "a new proposal for the future of [the] grand touring car."
The all-wheel-drive concept gets a 2.0-liter horizontally opposed direct fuel-injection turbo gas engine, an unusual hybrid two-motor system and a high-performance lithium-ion battery. The two-motor system bundles a power/drive motor in the front and a drive motor in the rear. During normal driving, the front engine is primarily used, noted Subaru in a statement. At start-up and "extremely low speeds when fuel efficiency is low, the rear motor is used primarily," it said.
Subaru did not provide any information on the fuel economy of its concept.
The cabin gets a dashboard that can be moved up and down and a special windshield that cuts down on driver eyestrain.
Another notable vehicle on the Subaru stand at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show will be the Impreza WRX STI Carbon. This vehicle has carbon material in the roof and is spun off the WRX STI A-Line model with a five-speed automatic transmission. Subaru says the use of carbon material translates into "a significant weight reduction and a lower center of gravity."
Inside Line says: Subaru promises to swivel some heads at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show with its Hybrid Tourer Concept. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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