Subaru will be introducing a new hybrid car in 2012 according to a statement made by Fuji Heavy Industries LTD., the company that owns the Subaru brand. However, while they announced their intention to create a hybrid, they did not say whether it would be a hybrid version of an existing vehicle in the Subaru line or a brand new model. The above pictured Subaru is the B5 TPH (which stands for Turbo Parallel Hybrid), a concept model that premiered in 2005 but hasn’t received much news coverage since. Will the B5, or a newer version of it, be Subaru’s entrant vehicle to the hybrid market?
One thing that is known about the upcoming Subaru hybrid vehicle is that it will be heaviliy influenced by Toyota’s line of hybrids. Toyota owns a 16% stake in the brand, so a lot of Toyota’s hybrid technology will likely find its way into a new Subaru model. The B5 TPH concept had a 2.0-liter fou-cylinder boxer engine mated to an electric motor and provided a sporty, fun drive with improved fuel economy. While the B5 TPH definitely fits in with the Subaru image, don’t be surprised if the first hybrid from the company is a hybrid variant of an existing popular model, such as the Legacy or Outback.
http://www.greencarplanet.com/2009/05/23/subaru-hybrid-planned-for-2012/
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