I saw this on Nasioc.
I hope this doesnt make its way to the FT or the Subaru verson.
http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/04/2011-new-york-auto-show-subaru-shows-courage-to-cut-horsepower-for-fuel-economy.html
Press conferences at major auto shows have become quite predictable. In recent years, many of the high-dollar stunts have faded away, but execs continue touting carefully selected sales figures, citing awards, targeting “active lifestyle” buyers, boasting of horsepower improvements, adding connectivity and all manner of in-car distractions, and more recently, declaring nominal fuel economy gains. I’ve heard it all through the years, and too often it sounds the same. Bigger, better, more awesome… But at the
New York International Auto Show last week, I heard the announcement I had been waiting a career for: Less horsepower and much improved fuel economy.
That’s right, even after hearing Jeep say that the
Grand Cherokee SRT8 could race 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds, by far the more exciting news was that Subaru was introducing a 148-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in the
redesigned Impreza line. Sure, power is down 22 hp, but fuel economy is up 30 percent. When I reach into my wallet, staring slack-jawed at the gas pump charging well over $4 a gallon, I’m dreaming of fuel economy, not horsepower, these days.
Sure, horsepower inspired many dreams, purchases, and high-speed automotive adventures through the years. But in 2011, it is the mundane fuel economy and desire to save money to put toward other essentials that is more important to me. I suspect I am not alone.
The
current, out-going Impreza line performed well in our tests, and it has an enviable reliability history (assuming you avoid the WRX) and impressive crash-test performance. Where it has come up short is with fuel economy. And this is clearly addressed with the 2012 redesign.
For the new model year, the current 2.5-liter engine and four-speed automatic transmission are replaced with a 2.0-liter engine and continuously variable transmission. As we have witnessed in the
Legacy and
Outback, a CVT can be a real contributor to improved fuel economy. Despite both those models growing dramatically with their latest redesigns, overall fuel economy improved. Now it is the Impreza’s turn.
The current Impreza is EPA-rated at 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway with an automatic transmission. Depending on the model, we averaged 23 or 24 mpg overall in our tests. Subaru claims the new car will get 27 mpg city, 36 mpg highway. Those figures best the base
Chevrolet Cruze,
Chrysler 200,
Ford Focus,
Mazda3,
Nissan Sentra,
Suzuki Kizashi,
Toyota Corolla, and
Volkswagen Jetta - all with automatic transmissions and without all-wheel drive, a feature that traditionally exacts a notable mileage penalty.
Subaru claims the new Impreza feels “more responsive” than before. We’ll find out when we purchase examples to test. Assuming it is at least comparable, this marks a significant advance.
My wish is that other automakers follow suit. The most overt place to shift the balance of power and fuel economy is in the family sedan segment. Many sedans have become downright sporty, with several offering more horsepower than a Ford Mustang GT did about a decade ago. I hope with the next auto show season, as new cars are introduced, we begin to see horsepower edge down without apologies, while fuel economy goes up.
Perhaps following show season, we’ll even hear from automakers that are targeting inactive, couch potatoes and older buyers—those are growing markets, too.
Next time you’re at the pump, ask yourself: Would you accept a 10 percent power reduction for 10 percent more fuel economy?